5 statistics on physician pay

Here are five key statistics on physician compensation:

1. On average, physicians in the U.S. earned the most ($316,000) per year, followed by Germany ($183,000) and the U.K. ($138,000). Physicians in Mexico earned the least at $12,000.

2. Primary care physicians earned an average of $242,000 in 2021, down from $243,000 in 2020.

3. Physician compensation at physician-owned practices since 2006 has mostly met or exceeded that of hospital-owned practices. 

4. Physician pay decreased for these four specialties:

1. Cardiology (Interventional): 13.7 percent decrease — from $611,000 to $527,000
2. Hematology: 5.2 percent decrease — from $426,000 to $404,000
3. Radiology: 2.1 percent decrease — from $465,000 to $455,000
4. Pediatrics: 1.7 percent decrease — $236,000 to $232,000

5. Physician pay increased for these eight specialties:

1. OB-GYN: 10.3 percent increase — from $291,000 to $321,000
2. Anesthesiology: 9 percent increase — from $367,000 to $400,000
3. Cardiology (Non-invasive): 8.5 percent increase — from $446,000 to $484,000
4. Neurology: 7.3 percent increase — from $332,000 to $356,000
5. Gastroenterology: 4.6 percent increase — $453,000 to $474,000
6. Orthopedic surgery: 3.5 percent increase — from $546,000 to $565,000
7. Urology: 2.6 percent increase — from $497,000 to $510,000
8. Internal medicine: .4 percent increase — from $255,000 to $256,000