Physician salaries: Which specialties have the highest growth?
How 21 specialties compare, ranked by level of growth.
21. Ophthalmology
2018 compensation: $385,168
2017 compensation: $405,500
Growth: -5%
20. OB/GYN
2018 compensation: $340,388
2017 compensation: $345,908
Growth: -1.6%
19. Diagnostic radiology
2018 compensation: $482,599
2017 compensation: $487,239
Growth: -1%
18. Gastroenterology
2018 compensation: $527,998
2017 compensation: $529,880
Growth: -.04%
17. Pediatrics
2018 compensation: $245,043
2017 compensation: $245,153
Growth: -0.4%
16. Anesthesiology
2018 compensation: $436,404
2017 compensation: $430,754
Growth: 1.3%
15. Hospitalist
2018 compensation: $293,252
2017 compensation: $287,099
Growth: 2.1%.
14. Otolaryngology
2018 compensation: $451,219
2017 compensation: $442,057
Growth: 2.1%
13. Hematology/Oncology
2018 compensation: $450,502
2017 compensation: $438,496
Growth: 2.7%
12. Allergy/Immunology
2018 compensation: $322,009
2017 compensation: $313,591
Growth: 2.7%
11. Urgent care
2018 compensation: $283,787
2017 compensation: $275,959
Growth: 2.8%
10. Neurology
2018 compensation: $310,518
2017 compensation: $302,060
Growth: 2.8%
9. Emergency Medicine
2018 compensation: $363,201
2017 compensation: $351,728
Growth: 3.3%
8. Dermatology
2018 compensation: $475,379
2017 compensation: $460,238
Growth: 3.3%
7. General surgery
2018 compensation: $431,163
2017 compensation: $415,987
Growth: 3.6%
6. Urology
2018 compensation: $469,755
2017 compensation: $453,419
Growth: 3.6%
5. Cardiology
2018 compensation: $519,964
2017 compensation: $497,888
Growth: 4.4%
4. Internal Medicine
2018 compensation: $273,254
2017 compensation: $258,027
Growth: 5.9%
3. Family Medicine
2018 compensation: $260,108
2017 compensation: $244,799
Growth: 6.3%
2. Endocrinology
2018 compensation: $269,750
2017 compensation: $252,111
Growth: 7%
1. Psychiatry
2018 compensation: $296,388
2017 compensation: $256,400
Growth: 15.6%
About the survey
The 2019 survey is the 32nd edition from AMGA and constitutes the largest database in the survey’s history. The data are from 272 medical groups and represent more than 117,000 providers, an 11% increase from the 2018 survey. While the data are representative of independent and system-affiliated groups, the latter provided 76.5% of respondents. The makeup of the AMGA database skews to larger medical groups, with over 40% of the groups having more than 300 physician full-time equivalents (FTEs).
The survey was conducted by AMGA’s subsidiary, AMGA Consulting.
Physician salaries are on the rise, according to the latest data from the American Medical Group Association (AMGA).But the level of salary growth-the report collected salary data from 2018-depended on specialty.
While most specialties saw pay growth in 2018, compared to 2017, not all of them did. Overall physician compensation increased by a median of 2.92 percent in 2018, compared to a less than 1% growth in 2017.When it comes to primary care, the move to value-based care has put scrutiny on these specialties while also providing compensation opportunities.
“As healthcare organizations move from volume-based to value-based payment models, we’ve observed increased scrutiny on primary care performance,” said Elizabeth Siemsen, AMGA Consulting director, in a news release. “Medical groups continue to focus on delivering care in the most appropriate setting with the greatest efficiency-and often place primary care providers at the center of this strategy.”
Check out the slideshow above to see how 21 specialties compared, ranked by level of growth.
