48
QUALITY
8 things to know about physician salaries
By Rachel Popa
M
edical Economics' 90th annual
Physician Report showed physician
salaries are declining or remaining
stagnant.
Medical Economics surveyed 1,300 physi-
cians to generate the report, which includes
salary data for 2018.
1. Over half of physicians said their com-
pensation was the same as the previous year.
Twenty-six percent of physicians said their
compensation dropped, while 22 percent had
an increase in compensation.
2. e report provided the average income
for seven specialties:
• Dermatology: $483,000
• Cardiology: $405,000
• Urology: $362,000
• OB-GYN: $288,000
• Internal medicine: $262,000
• Family medicine: $242,000
• Pediatrics: $233,000
3. More than 70 percent of physicians said
uncompensated tasks like prior authoriza-
tions resulted in lower revenue associated
with lost productivity. Lower reimbursement
and government regulations also were cited
as reasons for lower revenue and pay.
4. Seeing more patients, pay for perfor-
mance, renegotiated payer contracts and
more ancillary services were some of the rea-
sons physicians cited for improved finances.
5. On average, male physicians made
$380,000, while female physicians made
$200,000 in 2018.
Medscape's Physician Compensation Report
2019 found physician salary growth out-
paced the general population.
Medscape surveyed 20,000 physicians in 30
specialties on average compensation, hours
worked and more to generate the report.
6. Average physician salaries have increased
by 20 percent since 2015.
7. e highest-earning specialties include:
• Orthopedics - $482,000
• Plastic surgery - $471,000
• Otolaryngology - $461,000
• Cardiology - $430,000
• Dermatology - $419,000
• Radiology - $419,000
• Gastroenterology - $417,000
8. Physicians are paid the most on average in
Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama and Arkansas.
n
Employed physicians outnumber self-
employed physicians for 1st time in US
By Eric Oliver
S
elf-employed physician numbers continue to decrease as a new
American Medical Association study shows employed physicians
outnumber self-employed physicians for the first time in U.S. history.
In 2018, hospitals employed 47.4 percent of physicians, while 45.9
percent were self-employed. Employed physician rates have increased
6 percent and self-employed physician rates have dropped 7 percent
since 2012.
Self-employed physician rates have been dropping since the late
1980s. The AMA suggested "caution should be taken in assuming cur-
rent trends will continue indefinitely."
Fifty-four percent of patient care physicians worked in physician-
owned practices in 2018. Although lower than 60.1 percent in 2012,
the decreases could be slowing, as the primary change occurred
between 2012 and 2014.
Eight percent of all patient care physicians worked for a hospital in
2018 and 26.7 percent worked at hospital-owned practices, meaning
34.7 percent of physicians worked either for a hospital or for a practice
partially owned by a hospital.
Younger physicians seek out employment arrangements more than
older physicians. About 70 percent of physicians under 40 were em-
ployed, while only 38.2 percent of physicians over 55 were employed.
AMA also found that despite regulatory challenges, most physicians
continue to work in small practices. n
10 physician assistant
salary statistics
By Rachel Popa
T
he average income for physician assis-
tants in 2018 was $110,567, according
to a report from the National Commis-
sion on Certification of Physician Assistants.
To compile the report, the commission collect-
ed data from 117,280 physician assistants.
The mean salary for the 10 highest paying
physician assistant specialties:
1. Dermatology: $126,084
2. Emergency medicine: $123,006
3. Critical care medicine: $122,957
4. Subspecialty surgery: $119,852
5. General surgery: $112,396
6. Hospital medicine: $111,426
7. Pathology: $111,000
8. Radiology: $110,556
9. Other: $109,325
10. Addiction medicine: $108,686 n
