We recently released the first annual Doximity Physician Compensation Report – the most comprehensive research undertaken to date on physician pay in the United States. The report draws on the responses of over 36,000 licensed doctors to produce the most comprehensive and in-depth look at absolute physician compensation across specialties, states, regions, and gender.

Because physicians play a central role in delivering care, physician recruiters need an accurate view of how physicians are compensated across specialties – and geographies. Here are a few highlights from the report, which you can download in its entirety at the end of this article.

Falling in line with what many recruiters already know, rural and lower-cost cities have higher physician compensation than higher-cost areas like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago.

The top five metro areas in which physicians are paid the highest average annual salary are:

1. Charlotte, N.C. ($359,455)
2. Bridgeport, Conn. ($353,925)
3. Phoenix, Ariz. ($351,677)
4. Milwaukee, Wis. ($345,831)
5. Houston, Texas ($345,079)
   
   

The bottom five metro areas in which physicians are paid the lowest average annual salary are:

1. Durham, N.C. ($267,598)
2. Ann Arbor, Mich. ($272,398)
3. Baltimore, Md. ($281,005)
4. Charleston, S.C. ($285,933)
5. Washington, D.C. ($286,242)
   
   

Location is a key determinant of compensation for primary care doctors

Primary care doctors represent the backbone of clinical care in the country. The top five metro areas with the overall highest compensation for primary care providers includes:

1. Charlotte, N.C. ($285,109)
2. Bridgeport, Conn. ($279,138)
3. Minneapolis, Minn. ($272,610)
4. Indianapolis, Ind. ($270,468)
5. Phoenix, Ariz. ($268,869)
   
   

The bottom five metro areas in which physicians are paid the lowest average annual salary are:

1. Durham, N.C. ($267,598)
2. Ann Arbor, Mich. ($272,398)
3. Baltimore, Md. ($281,005)
4. Charleston, S.C. ($285,933)
5. Washington, D.C. ($286,242)

The “gender gap” difference in physician compensation is stark

U.S. women physicians on average earn 26.5 percent less, or in dollar terms, $91,284 less than their male counterparts. Moreover, there is no medical specialty identified in the study in which women earn more than men. As an example, female Neurosurgeons were found to earn over $90,000 less on average per year. Also, there is no place in the United States – state or top 50 metropolitan areas – where women outearn men.

The five largest gender wage gaps are found in:

1. Charlotte, N.C. (33 percent less or $125,035)
2. Durham, N.C. (31 percent less or $90,480)
3. Orlando, Fla. (30 percent less or $107,942)
4. Pittsburgh, Pa. (30 percent less or $100,956)
5. Bridgeport, Conn. (29 percent less or $110,582)
   
   

The specialties with the largest gender wage gap are:

1. Pediatric Rheumatology (21 less percent or $45,412)
2. Gastroenterology (21 percent less or $78,490)
3. Pediatric Endocrinology (20 percent less or $41,467)
4. Occupational Medicine (20 percent less or $53,921)
5. Vascular Surgery (20 percent less or $88,800
   
   

For female physicians, the metro areas in which female physicians are paid the highest average annual salary are:

1. Minneapolis, Minn. ($290,747)
2. Phoenix, Ariz. ($290,536)
3. Milwaukee, Wis. ($287,950)
4. Indianapolis, Ind. ($281,987)
5. Dallas, Texas ($278,825)

The metro areas in which female physicians are paid the lowest average annual salary are:

1. Durham, N.C. ($205,635)
2. Charleston, S.C. ($219,112)
3. Ann Arbor, Mich. ($225,004)
4. Baltimore, Md. ($226,048)
5. Washington, D.C. ($227,263)
   
   

The Doximity Physician Compensation study was drawn from self-reported compensation surveys of over 36,000 full-time, licensed U.S. physicians who practice at least 40 hours per week. Responses were mapped across metropolitan statistical areas, and the top 50 were ranked by the number of respondents in the data.

With 70 percent of all U.S. doctors as members, Doximity is the largest social network in medicine and is uniquely positioned to enable the analysis drawn in the report. To learn more, click the button and download the full report.