In 2021, physician salaries will be drastically affected because of COVID-19, ending a generally upward trend from the last three years.
Using Medscape's Physician Compensation Report from 2018-20, here is how physician salaries have changed:
Note: Medscape surveyed 20,329 respondents in 2018, 19,328 respondents in 2019 and 17,461 respondents in 2020 to collect compensation data.
Overall specialty physician salary:
2018: $329,000
2019: $341,000
2020: $346,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 5.17 percent
Overall primary care physician salary:
2018: $223,000
2019: $237,000
2020: $243,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 8.97 percent
Plastic surgery:
2018: $501,000
2019: $471,000
2020: $479,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: -4.39 percent
Orthopedics:
2018: $497,000
2019: $482,000
2020: $511,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 2.82 percent
Cardiology:
2018: $423,000
2019: $430,000
2020: $438,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 3.55 percent
Gastroenterology:
2018: $408,000
2019: $417,000
2020: $419,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 2.7 percent
Radiology:
2018: $401,000
2019: $419,000
2020: $427,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 6.48 percent
Dermatology:
2018: $392,000
2019: $419,000
2020: $411,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 4.85 percent
Anesthesiology:
2018: $386,000
2019: $392,000
2020: $398,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 3.11 percent
ENT:
2018: $383,000
2019: $461,000
2020: $455,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 18.8 percent
Urology:
2018: $373,000
2019: $408,000
2020: $417,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 11.8 percent
Oncology:
2018: $363,000
2019: $359,000
2020: $377,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 3.86 percent
Ophthalmology:
2018: $357,000
2019: $366,000
2020: $378,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 5.88 percent
Critical care:
2018: $354,000
2019: $349,000
2020: $355,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 0.28 percent
Emergency medicine:
2018: $350,000
2019: $353,000
2020: $357,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 2 percent
General surgery:
2018: $322,000
2019: $362,000
2020: $364,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 13.04 percent
Pulmonary medicine:
2018: $321,000
2019: $331,000
2020: $342,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 6.54 percent
OB/GYN:
2018: $300,000
2019: $303,000
2020: $308,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 2.67 percent
Nephrology:
2018: $294,000
2019: $305,000
2020: $306,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 4.08 percent
Pathology:
2018: $286,000
2019: $308,000
2020: $318,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 11.19 percent
Psychiatry:
2018: $273,000
2019: $260,000
2020: $268,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: -1.83 percent
Allergy:
2018: $272,000
2019: $275,000
2020: $301,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 10.67 percent
Physical medicine:
2018: $269,000
2019: $306,000
2020: $308,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 14.5 percent
Rheumatology:
2018: $257,000
2019: $259,000
2020: $262,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 1.95 percent
Neurology:
2018: $244,000
2019: $267,000
2020: $280,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 14.75 percent
Infectious disease:
2018: $231,000
2019: $239,000
2020: $246,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 6.5 percent
Internal medicine:
2018: $230,000
2019: $243,000
2020: $251,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 9.13 percent
Family medicine:
2018: $219,000
2019: $231,000
2020: $234,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 6.85 percent
Diabetes:
2018: $212,000
2019: $236,000
2020: $236,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 11.32 percent
Pediatrics:
2018: $212,000
2019: $225,000
2020: $232,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 9.43 percent
Public health:
2018: $199,000
2019: $209,000
2020: $232,000
Percent change from 2018 to 2020: 16.58 percent