U.S. Critical Care Physician Salary 2026: $480K Median
The median critical care physician salary in the United States is $480,000 per year, based on 33 approved salary reports on SalaryDr through . The middle 50% of reports fall between $425,000 and $550,000; the 10th to 90th percentile range is $396,000 to $589,000.
- Median
- $480,000
- Middle 50% (25th–75th)
- $425K–$550K
- Approved reports
- 33
- As of
Source: SalaryDr salary reports — anonymous, self-reported and approved before publication. Total compensation includes base salary, bonuses and incentives. Outlier reports beyond 1.5×IQR are excluded from the median, average and percentiles. Figures from 24 or fewer reports are rounded to protect privacy. Methodology
Critical Care Bonus & Incentive Pay (2026)
Based on 33 approved salary reports. 97% of them include bonus or incentive compensation.
Bonus Compensation Overview
- Average Bonus
- $101,125
- Median Bonus
- $57,500
- Bonus Range (IQR)
- $40,000 - $150,000
- Bonus as % of Total Comp
- 21%
- Physicians with Bonus
- 32 of 33 (97%)
New Graduate Offer Package
Not enough early-career reports (0–3 years of experience) yet to show a separate figure.
Critical Care Salaries by State
Browse All Specialties →Explore critical care salary data across different states. Click on any state to view detailed compensation information for that location.
View all Critical Care salary reports by location →
Critical Care Physician Salary FAQ
Answers are computed from the 33 approved salary reports on this page.
How much does a critical care physician make in 2026?
The median critical care physician salary in the United States is $480,000 per year, based on 33 approved salary reports on SalaryDr through August 25, 2026. The average is $482,198. At the average reported workweek of 55 hours, the median works out to about $168 per hour.
What is the salary range for a critical care physician?
The middle 50% of reported critical care physician salaries fall between $425,000 (25th percentile) and $550,000 (75th percentile). The 10th to 90th percentile range is $396,000 to $589,000. Based on 33 reports.
Which states pay critical care physicians the most?
Among states with at least 3 approved reports, the highest median critical care physician pay on SalaryDr is in Texas ($575,000 median, 3 reports), Georgia ($480,000 median, 3 reports), and Florida ($460,000 median, 3 reports). State medians built from a handful of reports can move as new reports arrive.
How many hours does a critical care physician work per week?
Critical care physicians who reported their schedule average 55 hours per week (33 reports).
How does experience affect critical care physician pay?
Average total compensation by years of experience in SalaryDr's critical care physician reports: 3–5 years, $465,000 (11 reports); 6–10 years, $475,000 (10 reports); 11–15 years, $480,000 (6 reports).
How much bonus pay do critical care physicians receive?
97% of approved critical care physician reports include bonus or incentive pay. Among those 32 reports, the median bonus is $57,500 and the average is $101,125.
How satisfied are critical care physicians with their jobs?
Critical care physicians who rated their job gave it an average of 3.7 out of 5 (33 reports). 91% of the 32 reports that answered say they would choose the specialty again.
Where does this critical care physician salary data come from?
These figures come from 33 reports that critical care physicians submitted anonymously to SalaryDr and that were approved before publication; the most recent is from August 25, 2026. Reports are self-reported: approval means a report passed SalaryDr's review checks, not that the submitter's pay was independently verified. Outlier reports beyond 1.5×IQR are excluded from the median, average and percentiles.
Reports are anonymous and self-reported. How SalaryDr calculates these figures.