The Finest and Worst Metro Areas for Doctor Salaries
By Joe Dyton, WCI Contributor
The common doctor’s wage has exceeded the $350,000 per 12 months mark, however whether or not a health care provider is above or beneath that mark can differ on account of a number of components. A doctor’s specialty is likely one of the largest figuring out components within the measurement of their paycheck, however location additionally performs a big half in a doctor’s wage. Two docs working in the identical specialty might discover themselves incomes considerably completely different incomes based mostly on the place they observe. Location components into physicians’ salaries for a couple of causes, together with price of residing and state revenue taxes.
For those who’re a doctor on the lookout for a change of surroundings in hopes of accelerating your wage, listed here are the very best and worst metro areas for physician salaries.
Finest Metro Areas for Doctor Salaries (by Location)
In line with the 2025 Doximity Doctor Compensation Report, physicians within the US noticed a 3.7% enhance in compensation from 2023 to 2024 (and that is after an almost 6% compensation enhance between 2022 and 2023). In the meantime, physicians in Rochester, Minnesota, loved one of many largest pay spikes at 8.7%, and the typical pay there may be now $495,532. In the meantime, physicians within the San Jose metropolitan space—which had one of many largest pay spikes in 2023 at 13.5%, propelling it to the highest spot on final 12 months’s listing—really noticed a lower of 1.07%, although it nonetheless stays within the high 5. Rochester did not even make the highest 10 listing final 12 months.
Among the many 10 metropolitan areas with the very best common compensation final 12 months, 5 of them are situated within the state of California. All of them, aside from San Jose, noticed a constructive enhance in compensation in 2024.
Worst Metro Areas for Doctor Salaries (by Location)
Whereas 5 of the highest 10 metro areas with the very best compensation for physicians have been based mostly in California, the report’s 10 places with the bottom compensation have been extra unfold out throughout the jap half of the nation. The Durham-Chapel Hill metro space had the bottom common compensation for physicians with a $358,782 annual wage. San Antonio, which was the bottom in 2023 at $371,073, noticed a 4.96% enhance in wage for 2024, although it is nonetheless among the many high 10 worst metro areas.
Additionally, make it possible for in case you’re transferring to Rochester for a rise in pay, you are transferring to the one in Minnesota and NOT the one in New York, lest you make a $130,000 mistake. As you may see on the listing beneath.
Finest Metro Areas for Doctor Salaries (Price of Residing)
How costly it’s to dwell in a specific metro space is maybe the very best gauge of how excessive a doctor’s (or, actually, any skilled’s) wage actually is. In line with Doximity, Rochester, Minnesota, additionally had the very best compensation adjusted for price of residing for physicians. That is adopted by St. Louis, Oklahoma Metropolis, Omaha, and Kansas Metropolis. If you wish to stretch out your greenback, it looks like residing within the Midwest is an effective strategy to do it.
Moreover, 5 of the highest 10 finest metro areas for doctor salaries relating to price of residing made the listing the 12 months earlier than, whereas cities like Buffalo and Salt Lake Metropolis have been new additions.
Worst Metro Areas for Doctor Salaries (Price of Residing)
A variety of the metro areas which might be usually recognized for being costly to dwell in have been among the many worst locations for doctor salaries. Apart from Denver, the highest 10 metro areas on this class have been on the East or West Coasts of the US.
Boston, No. 2 on final 12 months’s listing, made it to No. 1 this 12 months, whereas Washington, DC—which took the highest spot final 12 months—fell (or rose, relying on the way you take a look at it) to No. 2. Seattle, Denver, and San Francisco rounded out the highest 5 of the worst metro areas for doctor salaries relating to price of residing.
East and West Coast cities making up this listing isn’t new. These cities have been additionally on Doximity’s adjusted compensation lists in 2023, 2022, and 2021.
Beneath is the chart exhibiting the very best and lowest areas for doctor salaries based mostly on the price of residing.
And if you wish to take a look at it by area, this is what Medscape launched in 2025.
Finest Metro Areas for Doctor Salaries (Compensation Development)
Like every skilled, physicians don’t wish to simply earn a excessive wage. In addition they wish to see it develop all through their profession. In line with the Doximity report, common doctor compensation rose in 54 of the 60 metro areas studied (about two-thirds noticed development of a minimum of 3%).
As famous by Doximity,
“Whereas the inflation charge in 2024 returned nearer to pre-pandemic ranges, physicians are nonetheless feeling the consequences of a number of years of excessive inflation—together with 7% in 2021 and 6.5% in 2022—and ongoing Medicare fee cuts, together with one other 2.8% lower in 2025. In line with the American Medical Affiliation, Medicare doctor fee has dropped 33% since 2001, after adjusting for inflation.”
Austin physicians noticed the most important doctor compensation development (11.1%), with the Kansas Metropolis metro space not far behind at 10.0%. The Buffalo, Orlando, St. Louis, and Nashville metro areas additionally skilled wage will increase of greater than 9% on common. Rochester, Minnesota, grew by 8.7%.
The Backside Line
The phrase “location, location, location” is commonly reserved for actual property, however it might probably apply to doctor salaries as effectively. Docs could make a good-looking wage wherever they observe, however that six-figure revenue goes lots additional in some metro areas than others. So, as you search for a spot to work, don’t simply take a look at the areas that pay essentially the most; additionally contemplate the price of residing and the way a lot your wage could develop from 12 months to 12 months. Combining all of those components provides you with essentially the most practical take a look at what your doctor’s wage will likely be.
Seeking to enhance your revenue or renegotiate an present contract? Hop on over to the WCI doctor contract overview web page, the place you will discover vetted legal professionals and examine your contract to different docs.
Do you reside in one of many metro cities that is both on the very best or worst lists? Have you ever moved round to search out the very best mixture of excessive wage and low price of residing? Is that one thing you’d contemplate?
