Physician salaries up 16.5% since 2015

Physician salaries have been rising over the past several years, driven up by higher demand and a looming shortage. The average salary for a physician was $363,924 in 2018, according to a new survey from LocumTenens.com, a medical job board site.

Since 2015, the average salary for physicians has increase 16.5%, the survey found.

By comparison, salaries for advanced practitioners has fluctuated over the past several years, averaging $122,973 in 2019. AP salaries fell in 2017, but are back on the rise, according to the survey.

Here are the average physician salaries by specialty in 2018:

  • Anesthesiologist––$415,985
  • Cardiologist––$469,895
  • Critical Care physician––$376,090
  • Emergency Medicine––$360,433
  • Surgeon––$372,500
  • Hospitalist––$283,530
  • Neurologist––$333,115
  • OBGYN––$293,980
  • Orthopedic Surgeon––$539,464
  • Primary Care––$245,146
  • Psychiatrist––$272,821
  • Radiology––$434,541
  • Urologist––$430,000

See the full findings here.

Amy Baxter

Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."

Around the web

The tirzepatide shortage that first began in 2022 has been resolved. Drug companies distributing compounded versions of the popular drug now have two to three more months to distribute their remaining supply.

The 24 members of the House Task Force on AI—12 reps from each party—have posted a 253-page report detailing their bipartisan vision for encouraging innovation while minimizing risks. 

Merck sent Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, an upfront payment of $112 million to license a new investigational GLP-1 receptor agonist. There could be many more payments to come if certain milestones are met.