Most specialties saw a year-over-year increase in average starting salary, according to Merritt Hawkins' "2019 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives."
Merritt Hawkins compiled the report based on a sample of more than 3,000 physician and advanced practitioner recruiting engagements.
Average year-over-year increase/decrease in starting salary by specialty:
1. Urology: $464,000 (+20 percent)
2. Cardiology (invasive): $648,000 (+9.80 percent)
3. Anesthesiology: $404,000 (+8.90 percent)
4. Emergency medicine: $382,000 (+8.50 percent)
5. Neurology: $317,000 (+5.30 percent)
6. Psychiatry: $273,000 (+5 percent)
7. Radiology: $387,000 (+4.30 percent)
8. Cardiology (noninvasive): $441,000 (+3.30 percent)
9. Gastroenterology: $495,000 (+1.60 percent)
10. Certified registered nurse anesthesiology: $197,000 (+1.60 percent)
11. Orthopedic surgery: $536,000 (+0.56 percent)
12. Hematology/oncology: $393,000 (+0.50 percent)
13. Hospitalist: $268,000 (-0.37 percent)
14. Dermatology: $420,000 (-1.20 percent)
15. OB-GYN: $318,000 (-1.90 percent)
16. Pulmonology: $399,000 (-0.75 percent)
17. Otolaryngology: $402,000 (-0.70 percent)