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:
- Cardiology (Interventional): 13.7 percent decrease — from $611,000 to $527,000
- Hematology: 5.2 percent decrease — from $426,000 to $404,000
- Radiology: 2.1 percent decrease — from $465,000 to $455,000
- Pediatrics: 1.7 percent decrease — $236,000 to $232,000
5. Physician pay increased for these eight specialties:
- OB-GYN: 10.3 percent increase — from $291,000 to $321,000
- Anesthesiology: 9 percent increase — from $367,000 to $400,000
- Cardiology (Non-invasive): 8.5 percent increase — from $446,000 to $484,000
- Neurology: 7.3 percent increase — from $332,000 to $356,000
- Gastroenterology: 4.6 percent increase — $453,000 to $474,000
- Orthopedic surgery: 3.5 percent increase — from $546,000 to $565,000
- Urology: 2.6 percent increase — from $497,000 to $510,000
- Internal medicine: .4 percent increase — from $255,000 to $256,000