The medical profession commands social respect and financial security due to the noble work they put in for society. The doctor salary in the US can be classified on the basis of many parameters. They can vary based on locations, specializations and experience levels. The USA is one of the highest paying country in healthcare segment. To know more about the compensation of healthcare professionals, let's dive into the informative blog.
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The medical professionals are some of the most respected workers. In the United States of America, doctors along with other healthcare practitioners are some of the top-paid professions. According to reports, a medical doctor can earn an average doctor salary of 237,249 USD. It can go as high as 300,000 and as low as 100,000 USD.
The average salary consists of base pay, stay, travel and other allowances. Morover, it has been seen that this figure is gradually rising on a YoY (year on year) basis. There are increments and price rises every year that lead to the increase in the pay scale of healthcare specialists. Numerically speaking, the doctor salary in usa in Indian rupees can be between 1 to 2 crore INR showing a significant gap.
Furthermore, this blog will explore some specific facts and figures about the medical professional's pay scale in detail. Let’s explore some of them.
Becoming a doctor, in the USA is a complex yet rewarding process. Being a doctor is a dream profession of millions not because it's highly paying, but because of the hard work they put into society to make it a better place. Although the process of becoming a doctor is different for all specializations but the common steps remains the same for everyone.
1. Clearing Bachelors in Science- To become a doctor in the US, a person should hold an undergraduate degree in science subjects like biology, chemistry or medical practice.
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2. Appearing for the Entrance Test - There is a common entrance test that all aspirants have to take to secure admission in a medical school. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score is accepted by all the relevant admission committees. In case a student from outside the country wants to study medicine in the United States of America then apart from the medical exam they also have to appear for the language proficiency test such as IELTS or TOEFL.
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3. Study the Medical Course- After clearing MCAT, one gets admitted into the medical school for a 4-year course. During this four-year course, the students have to attend classes to learn and training sessions to practice. During these 4 years of school, they have to clear the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) part 1 and 2
4. Complete the Residency Program - After medical school, a student shall decide which specialization to choose. Based on speciality, their residency program begins. Its time duration can be between 3 to 7 years in which they work under a field expert. By doing so, they learn all about the subject and practice under the care of a supervisor.
5. Clear USMLE- In the first step of USMLE, the basic concepts of science and medicine are tested. It is done in the second year of medical school. In the second part, their ability to deal with patients under the supervision of specialists is checked. Moving towards the third and final part of the medical license exam, doctors have to perform clinical tasks without expert guidance. This has to be cleared upon the successful completion of the residency program.
The doctors have to appear for a test where it is checked if they can utilize their medical knowledge to attend to patients in critical conditions.
6. Obtain a Medical License- The last step of the process is to obtain a medical practising license. It is an important document and is mandatory for practising medicine legally.
So, this was the step-by-step guide on how to become a doctor in the United States. It takes years of hard work determination and resilient effort to become a doctor. But the social and monetary rewards are also positively fulfilling. Now let's explore the city-wise average of doctor base compensation.
The question "How much does a doctor make in the US?" is a little hard to answer. The top cities of the USA have different average figure for defining payscale of the doctors. While roughly, all those discussed in the blog are in the same range. But, many factors come into play to affect the averages. The doctors experience, speciality and geographical location should also be considered. Let's look at some of the top cities in the United States of America, starting with New York.
The doctor salary in US, New York is quite high. The bustling city of New York has more than 5000 primary and specialist doctors. According to the latest surveys, it can be found that the average earning capacity of doctors in New York City is 333,604 US dollars.
Chicago city of the USA is known for its delicate cuisine, rich cultural lifestyle and vast entertainment options. The medical fraternity also flourishes over there. To testify to this statement, let's look at the average number of doctors. The average doctor salary in Chicago is $360,600.
Los Angeles is famous for Hollywood and its beautiful beaches. It is home to many celebrities which makes it a very good place for healthcare practitioners to earn. Because of the high standard of living of the local residents, doctors can easily earn more than average. The doctors earn a handsome average pay in Los Angeles. The figure in the year 2024 went up to $356,390.
Houston is one of the most important cities in Texas. So, it is important to check the average doctor salary. It is famous for its space exploration programs and holds various science parks. The science-loving city has an average salary of $313,757 in the year 2024.
Seattle is a port city on the western coast of the America. Well known for being the headquarters of the tech giants of the world like Microsoft and Amazon. The medical professionals are not far behind in the race than the tech people. The average salary of a doctor in the US, Seattle is 346,721 dollars per year.
| City | Average Salary of a Doctor |
|---|---|
| New York | $333,604 |
| Chicago | $360,600 |
| Los Angeles | $356,390 |
| Houston | $313,757 |
| Seattle | $346,721 |
These were some of the cities in the United States of America where the standard salary of doctors is quite decent. Moving forward let's look at the doctor salary in US on the basis of specialization they have.
The income potential for a doctor varies significantly based on their area of specialization. Possessing a Master's in Medicine and Surgery can substantially enhance a doctor's earning capacity. In the United States, numerous factors influence the doctor salary in US, with their speciality being a predominant determinant. Orthopedic surgeons are among the highest-paid and most sought-after medical professionals due to the complexity and demand of their work. Conversely, the field of paediatrics, despite its critical role in healthcare, tends to be at the lower end of the salary spectrum.
| Specialty | Average Salary in the USA |
|---|---|
| Orthopedics | $557,000 |
| Cardiology | $490,000 |
| Neurology | $480,000 |
| Urology | $461,000 |
| Gastroenterology | $453,000 |
| Dermatology | $438,000 |
| Radiology | $437,000 |
| Ophthalmology | $417,000 |
| Oncology | $411,000 |
| Paediatrics | $265,000 |
So, a doctor salary by speciality varies significantly as seen through the data. In this, it can be orthopaedics, cardiologists and neurologists are some of the most-paid doctors. However, paediatrics make a significantly lesser amount of average salary living in the USA. Moving forward, the next section contains the average salary on the basis of experience.
Experience is a pivotal factor in augmenting a doctor's salary. As physicians accrue experience and study a specific specialization they acquire greater precision and knowledge in their field. This enhancement in skill level positions them to negotiate higher compensation. Consequently, the trajectory of a doctor's average salary typically exhibits a steady upward trend over the years, reflecting the value of their expanding expertise. The average financial compensation of Doctors based on experience shall be discussed in-depth.
| Experience | Average Salary; |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | $192,701 |
| 1-2 years | $222, 235 |
| 3-5 years | $238,673& |
| 6-9 years | $253,623 |
| More than 10 years | $270, 854 |
So, it can be seen that doctor salary in usa in Indian rupees grows significantly over their years of practice. It is a known fact that during their practising their knowledge and skills grow immensely. Now let’s explore the section of hourly fee of healthcare professionals in the US.
The hourly salary figure of the doctors is just an indication of their highly paid clinical skills. In the United States, they earn so well in comparison the other professions such as financial advisors. The numbers are so attractive that people often forget to look at the hard work and effort they put in. According to government reports, normally a doctor works 50-60 hours a week which is also more than other professionals. So, it is important to be careful of such determinants.
| Category | Hourly Salary in USD |
|---|---|
| Physicians | 128.84 |
| Specialty | 140.63 |
| Federal Executive Branch | 125.75 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 118 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 47.89 |
Visibly so, the physicians or primary care doctors make the highest hourly salary. In USA, the medical colleges professors make the least amount of money on the hour to hour basis. Now it is time to read about how much can doctor make if they are self employed.
There are several factors that have to be assessed when comparing healthcare practitioners who are self-employed and work full-time jobs. Apart from the monetary differences, there are many other pros and cons of both of them. The self-employment option gives doctors the flexibility and freedom to treat patients. However, the doctors who are working in the job have a stable income source, insurance and paid time off perks. The comparisons have wide-ranging financial implications.
Now let's understand the in-depth analysis of how many male and female doctors are self-employed. In comparison to men, women are more inclined towards the full-time jobs. Almost 80% of women are working in institutions on a full-time basis which makes 20% of them self-employed. On the other hand, male doctors have a different composition as there are 44 % self-practising doctors. This makes it even more than double that of female doctors.
The profession of doctors is considered highly respectable and even next to God in many places. Their profession commands social respect as well as economic benefits. Their paychecks are a testimony to the fact that doctors are some of the most well-paid professionals in the world. To check this let us look at the starting salary of mbbs doctor in usa and other tier 1, 2 and 3 countries.
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Know More!According to the World Bank's system of classification, the countries are divided based on their income levels. The higher-income countries are called tier 1 countries and the nations that belong to the upper middle-income section, are known as tier 2 countries. Those are not yet developed but are in the stage of developing. The economics there are flourishing and they are picking up pace in the science and infrastructure field also.
Tier 1 countries are those nations that possess an advanced infrastructure, sophisticated economy and myriad opportunities for growth. In all first-world countries, the pay scale of professionals is comparatively higher than in tier 2 and 3 ones. Let's look at the doctor salary in some top nations.
| Countries | Average Salary (in USD) |
|---|---|
| France | 59,723 |
| England | 41,012 |
| Canada | 138000 |
| Australia | 104,680 |
| New Zealand | 79515 |
Moving on, let's shed some light on the income levels of doctors in tier 2 countries such as China, Greece etc.
The slowing developing tier 2 nations are those which have a growing economy and improving infrastructure. The medical profession is also slowly seeing a rise in tier 2 countries as shown by the table below.
| Countries | Average Salary (in USD) |
|---|---|
| China | 33,200 |
| Egypt | 15,545 |
| Greece | 99,077 |
| Fiji | 10,200 |
| Hong Kong | 124,995 |
As we can see, tier 2 economics have a vast difference in the average salary of a doctor. Hong Kong is the leader in the segment with an average income of 124,995 US Dollars. The country with the lower average in this category is Fiji as the numbers suggest (10,200).
The countries that have the lowest per capita income levels are called tier 3 nations. Countries such as India and Sri Lanka make it to this list because their residents have little to no disposable income. So, naturally, even highly paid professionals such as doctors are comparatively given very little remuneration to tier 1 and 2 countries. As shown in the tabular figure below, the country with the least remuneration is Sri Lanka in this third tier category. The nation with the highest is Iraq.
| Countries | Average Salary (in USD) |
|---|---|
| India | 22,641 |
| Iraq | 40,931 |
| Sri Lanka | 8,000 |
| Jordon | 20,000 |
| Cambodia | 10,680 |
So, it can be seen that the pay scale of doctors in developing economies can be quite low. A doctor in India may earn 15 lakhs per year however, an Indian doctor salary in USA can be as high as 1 crore. This shows a striking contrast between the Tier 1 and 3 nations' economies.
Wrapping up, it can be concluded that becoming a doctor is indeed a time-consuming and tough job. The emotional and psychological implications are often overlooked by the people. The primary focus is on the monetary gains and perks of the profession. The doctor salary in the USA is close to 200k to 250k which takes it to the top of highly paid professionals in 2024. It changes with geographical location, speciality and experience levels.
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A1. On average, a doctor can earn up to 15,000 to 20,000 US Dollars in a month. However, it can vary based on the level of experience and specialization
A2. You can check the process of becoming a doctor in the US in this blog or get in touch with Gradding study abroad consultants to know about everything in detail.
A3. The pre-med course is 4 years, medical school also takes 4 years. In addition to these, the residency program can take up to 7 years based on specialization. So, the process of becoming a Doctor is quite time-consuming.
A4. A bachelor's in science in India shall be considered an equivalent of pre-medical in the USA. So, students can go for the MCAT exam and become doctors in the USA.
A5. Doctors are one of the highest-paid professionals in the country. However, they work more than others and work on a very exhausting job. So, various factors have to be considered looking at the pay scale of doctors.
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