U.S. Rheumatologist Salary 2026: $350K Median

The median rheumatologist salary in the United States is $350,000 per year, based on 61 approved salary reports on SalaryDr through September 25, 2026. The average is $360,467. At the average reported workweek of 43 hours, the median works out to about $157 per hour.

The middle 50% of reported rheumatologist salaries fall between $335,000 (25th percentile) and $365,000 (75th percentile). The 10th to 90th percentile range is $295,000 to $380,000. Based on 61 reports.

Among states with at least 3 approved reports, the highest median rheumatologist pay on SalaryDr is in Iowa ($360,000 median, 5 reports), Illinois ($350,000 median, 24 reports), and Massachusetts ($340,000 median, 11 reports). State medians built from a handful of reports can move as new reports arrive.

Not in SalaryDr's reports: hospital-employed rheumatologists ($379,804 across 23 reports) report a higher average total compensation than private practice rheumatologists ($376,125 across 16 reports).

Rheumatologists who reported their schedule average 43 hours per week (61 reports).

Average total compensation by years of experience in SalaryDr's rheumatologist reports: 3–5 years, $342,250 (18 reports); 6–10 years, $369,310 (29 reports); 11–15 years, $390,000 (9 reports).

97% of approved rheumatologist reports include bonus or incentive pay. Among those 59 reports, the median bonus is $65,000 and the average is $70,424.

Rheumatologists who rated their job gave it an average of 3.8 out of 5 (61 reports). 95% of the 61 reports that answered say they would choose the specialty again.

These figures come from 61 reports that rheumatologists submitted anonymously to SalaryDr and that were approved before publication; the most recent is from September 25, 2026. Reports are self-reported: approval means a report passed SalaryDr's review checks, not that the submitter's pay was independently verified.