Physician starting salaries average $403k, but specialty gaps persist

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Physician starting salaries in 2025 average $403,000, but the gap between high- and low-paying specialties remains significant, according to AMN Healthcare’s newly released 2025 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives.

Orthopedic surgeons top the list with an average starting offer of $576,000, while pediatricians are at the low end at $258,000. Other high earners include gastroenterologists ($552,000), urologists ($521,000), radiologists ($500,000) and hematologists/oncologists ($490,000).

“Demand for specialists is particularly strong and is being driven by the rapid growth of the nation’s senior citizen population,” said Leah Grant, president of AMN Healthcare Physician Solutions. “While demand is growing, many specialists are in short supply, resulting in high starting salary offers.”

Primary care salaries lag behind

Family medicine physicians are offered an average starting salary of $275,000, while internal medicine physicians average $292,000. The report notes that pediatric starting salaries have fallen 8.5% year-over-year.

Non-academic positions generally command higher pay than academic roles. For example, non-academic family physicians average $290,000, compared with $230,000 in academic settings.

Signing bonuses and other incentives on the rise

Physicians are increasingly offered generous signing bonuses, relocation assistance and continuing medical education (CME) allowances. In 2025, the average physician signing bonus rose to $38,215 — up 23% from last year. Relocation allowances averaged $12,619 and CME allowances averaged $4,073. Combined, these incentives add nearly $59,000 to base salaries.

Loan repayment remains part of 16% of contracts, with an average of $104,200 offered to physicians.

Specialists dominate demand

Specialist physicians accounted for 78% of AMN Healthcare's recruiting engagements, with hematology/oncology, gastroenterology and endocrinology among the most sought-after fields.

Nurse practitioners, however, topped the overall demand list for the fifth straight year, averaging $180,000 in starting salary.

The report underscores ongoing physician shortages. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects a deficit of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. Aging populations, rising patient demand and limited training capacity are key drivers, contributing to longer wait times and heightened competition for talent.

"While certain types of physicians are in particular demand, there are job openings for most physicians regardless of specialty," Grant said. "In today's market, there is virtually no such thing as an unemployed physician."