Best Cities for Emergency Medicine (2026)
Salary, satisfaction, and cost-of-living comparison from 7 verified physician submissions across 3 cities.
Highest-Paying Cities
Best Value: Cost-of-Living Adjusted
Gross salary doesn't tell the full story. These cities offer the most purchasing power for emergency medicine physicians after adjusting for state cost of living.
Orlando, FL
$539,000
adjusted from $556,000 gross
COL near the national average (1.03x)
Chicago, IL
$469,000
adjusted from $474,000 gross
COL near the national average (1.01x)
New York, NY
$211,000
adjusted from $296,000 gross
COL significantly above the national average (1.40x)
Physician Experience by City
Satisfaction, hours, and career sentiment from verified emergency medicine physicians in each city.
Orlando, FL
Complete City Rankings
| # | City | Avg. Salary | COL-Adj. | Satisfaction | Hrs/Wk | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇1 | Orlando, FL | $556,000 | $539,000 | 4/5 | 33 | 3 |
| 🥈2 | Chicago, IL | $474,000 | $469,000 | — | — | 2 |
| 🥉3 | New York, NY | $296,000 | $211,000 | — | — | 2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest-paying city for emergency medicine?
Orlando, FL offers the highest average emergency medicine salary at $556,000, based on 3 verified submissions.
Which city offers the best value after cost of living?
After adjusting for state cost of living, Orlando, FL offers the most purchasing power at $539,000 adjusted salary. The cost of living in Florida is near the national average (index: 1.03).
Where are emergency medicine physicians most satisfied?
Orlando, FL reports the highest satisfaction for emergency medicine physicians at 4/5.0, with an average of 33 hours per week.
How is this data collected?
All salary data comes from verified physicians who submit their compensation anonymously on SalaryDr. Each submission is verified via NPI lookup against the CMS NPPES registry. Cities require at least 2 verified reports to appear in rankings. Cost-of-living adjustments use state-level indices; actual COL may vary significantly within a state (e.g., San Francisco vs. rural California).