Physician assistants saw the greatest year-over-year increase to base salaries offered to recruits, according to Merritt Hawkins' "2021 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives."
The review, released Aug. 9, is based on a representative sample of 2,458 permanent physician and advanced practitioner search assignments that were ongoing or conducted by Merritt Hawkins/AMN Healthcare's physician staffing companies from April 2020 to March 2021.
Those searches were primarily conducted for hospitals (33 percent), group practices (29 percent) and academic settings (20 percent). The searches also occurred for urgent care, federally qualified health centers, Indian Health Service and concierge medicine.
The following figures reflect base salaries or guaranteed income only and do not include production bonuses and benefits. Specialties are in descending order based on the most requested searches.
Nurse practitioner
Average: $140,000
High: $300,000
Low: $90,000
Year-over-year difference: +12 percent
Family medicine
Average: $243,000
High: $400,000
Low: $180,000
Year-over-year difference: +1 percent
Radiology
Average: $401,000
High: $825,000
Low: $150,000
Year-over-year difference: -3 percent
Psychiatry
Average: $279,000
High: $400,000
Low: $185,000
Year-over-year difference: +1 percent
Internal medicine
Average: $244,000
High: $500,000
Low: $170,000
Year-over-year difference: -12 percent
OB-GYN
Average: $291,000
High: $750,000
Low: $207,000
Year-over-year difference: -11 percent
Anesthesiology
Average: $367,000
High: $750,000
Low: $245,000
Year-over-year difference: -8 percent
Hematology/Oncology
Average: $385,000
High: $1 million
Low: $180,000
Year-over-year difference: -4 percent
Gastroenterology
Average: $453,000
High: $750,000
Low: $125,000
Year-over-year difference: -1 percent
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Average: $222,000
High: $353,000
Low: $158,000
Year-over-year difference: +3 percent
Cardiology (non-invasive)
Average: $446,000
High: $700,000
Low: $350,000
Year-over-year difference: +9 percent
Cardiology (interventional)
Average: $611,000
High: $1 million
Low: $400,000
Year-over-year difference: -5 percent
Neurology
Average: $332,000
High: $850,000
Low: $215,000
Year-over-year difference: +13 percent
Orthopedic surgery
Average: $546,000
High: $1 million
Low: $300,000
Year-over-year difference: -13 percent
Dermatology
Average: $378,000
High: $1 million
Low: $200,000
Year-over-year difference: -10 percent
Pulmonology
Average: $385,000
High: $650,000
Low: $250,000
Year-over-year difference: -10 percent
Oral maxillofacial surgery
Average: $349,000
High: $1.2 million
Low: $275,000
Year-over-year difference: N/A
Physician assistant
Average: $128,000
High: $350,000
Low: $100,000
Year-over-year difference: +14 percent
Pediatrics
Average: $236,000
High: $400,000
Low: $180,000
Year-over-year difference: +7 percent
Endocrinology
Average: $241,000
High: $325,000
Low: $200,000
Year-over-year difference: N/A