Is My Physician Job Offer Fair?
Updated
The quickest check is to compare an offer's total annual compensation with what attendings in the same specialty report. The table below gives the median and the middle half (25th to 75th percentile) from approved SalaryDr reports. An offer near the median is typical; one below the 25th percentile sits in the bottom quarter. Pick a specialty for the full breakdown by practice setting and state.
This compares an offer with peer reports. It is not a verdict on any one offer.
Reported total compensation by specialty
| Specialty | 25th | Median | 75th | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiothoracic Surgery | $862,000 | $1,200,000 | $1,300,000 | 26 |
| Neurosurgery | $850,000 | $900,000 | $1,119,471 | 99 |
| Orthopedic Surgery | $680,000 | $790,000 | $900,000 | 124 |
| Plastic Surgery | $710,000 | $750,000 | $900,000 | 74 |
| Ophthalmology | $500,000 | $670,000 | $850,000 | 100 |
| Cardiology | $530,000 | $623,000 | $775,000 | 180 |
| Dermatology | $500,000 | $620,000 | $700,000 | 88 |
| Vascular Surgery | $556,070 | $615,000 | $750,000 | 56 |
| Urology | $560,000 | $600,000 | $695,000 | 89 |
| Radiation Oncology | $550,000 | $585,000 | $620,000 | 43 |
| Radiology | $510,000 | $580,000 | $650,000 | 117 |
| Gastroenterology | $505,000 | $550,000 | $650,000 | 94 |
| Anesthesiology | $470,000 | $535,000 | $625,000 | 166 |
| General Surgery | $450,000 | $525,000 | $620,000 | 141 |
| Otolaryngology | $475,000 | $525,000 | $565,000 | 43 |
| Hematology/Oncology | $430,000 | $495,000 | $550,000 | 126 |
| Critical Care | $425,000 | $480,000 | $550,000 | 33 |
| Pulmonology | $340,000 | $460,000 | $530,000 | 86 |
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | $400,000 | $425,000 | $490,000 | 77 |
| Emergency Medicine | $363,000 | $410,000 | $478,800 | 145 |
| Nephrology | $335,000 | $400,000 | $450,000 | 34 |
| Neurology | $335,000 | $400,000 | $450,000 | 92 |
| Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | $350,000 | $400,000 | $420,000 | 38 |
| Pathology | $330,000 | $391,000 | $450,000 | 56 |
| Endocrinology | $330,000 | $360,000 | $370,000 | 62 |
| Infectious Disease | $340,000 | $360,000 | $390,000 | 77 |
| Psychiatry | $325,000 | $355,000 | $390,000 | 103 |
| Rheumatology | $335,000 | $350,000 | $365,000 | 61 |
| Internal Medicine | $300,000 | $340,000 | $370,000 | 188 |
| Family Medicine | $274,000 | $310,000 | $345,000 | 159 |
| Pediatrics | $270,000 | $310,000 | $350,000 | 272 |
Specialties with at least 10 approved attending reports. Figures from 24 or fewer reports are rounded.
Compare your own offer
Enter your specialty and offer to see its percentile, including signing bonus and practice setting.
Questions
How do I know if a physician job offer is fair?
Compare the total annual compensation with what physicians in the same specialty report, then look past the base: call pay, the wRVU rate and bonus threshold, the signing bonus and its payback terms, the non-compete, and benefits. Each specialty page shows the reported median, the middle half and, where the sample allows, rows by practice setting and state.
What counts as a below-market offer?
An offer below the 25th percentile of reports for its specialty sits in the bottom quarter of what peers report. That can still make sense for a lighter schedule, an academic role or a strong benefits package, so compare the whole offer.
Where does the data come from?
Physicians report their own pay to SalaryDr. These pages use approved attending reports of realized pay or accepted offers, list a specialty only once it has at least 10 reports, and show no figure from fewer than 5.
Add your pay
Specialties appear here once enough physicians report. Reports are anonymous and reviewed before they count.
Add your pay to SalaryDrSource: SalaryDr, approved attending reports of realized pay or accepted offers. See the methodology.