The average physician bonus in 2022 was around 15 percent of their yearly salary according to an August report from Medscape.
In a Medscape survey of 845 physicians, about half reported receiving an incentive bonus at the end of the year.
Ten notes on the physician incentive bonus system:
1. Forty-nine percent of physicians received an incentive bonus at the end of the year.
2. Thirty-four percent of physicians' bonuses were under $25,000.
3. The largest number of physicians (29 percent) said that their bonus metrics were somewhat difficult or very difficult to meet.
4. Thirty-nine percent of physicians believe their incentive bonus is at risk when they do not meet their metrics.
5. Forty-nine percent of physicians think that incentive bonuses are positive.
6. Forty-seven percent of physicians think that bonuses make physicians more productive.
7. The majority of physicians (75 percent) think that bonuses should be phased out in favor of higher salaries.
8. The majority of physicians (72 percent) think that bonuses can sometimes lead to patient consequences, like higher costs and unnecessary testing.
9. The majority of physicians (70 percent) think that bonuses do not result in better patient care.
10. A plurality of physicians (28 percent) think that quality of care is the top metric that should be tied to bonuses.