Which Regions of the Country Pay Physicians More?

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     According to the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), it seems physician compensation can vary significantly based not only on their department rank in an academic setting, but also on their geographic setting. For instance, in an academic setting, primary care associate professors earned a median compensation of $173,963, professors brought in a median compensation of $198,000, while department chairs reported a median compensation of $282,296.

     In terms of geography, dermatologists in an academic setting, based in the Midwest, reported a median compensation of $227,765 while the same group in the Western region reported a median compensation of $234,936. This trend continues with general pediatricians in the Eastern section reporting $157,289 in median compensation while their Southern region counterparts reporting $139,410 in median compensation. Furthermore, urologists in the Midwest had a median compensation of $300,000 as opposed to the $445,247 median income of the urologists in the Western region.

     By this data, it seems as though one region does not pay all specialties more or less than any other region. Regional compensation also seems to be influenced by a physician’s specialty as well as their geographic location.