Dear Career Doctor:
How much do doctors
earn?
Your question is
brief, but the answer isn't, because it depends on when
you consider a physician begins to work.
As you probably
know, physicians usually go to medical school after completing
four years of college. They pay tuition for all four years
of medical school. The first two years are coursework in
labs and classrooms. The last two years are unpaid work
in hospitals and clinics, seeing patients under supervision.
Then, depending
on what kind of work physicians want to do, they enter residency
programs that are paid on-the job training and can last
up to seven years.. Residents typically earn between $35,000
-$45,000 a year.
After residency,
the beginning salaries of physicians vary by specialty.
The highest starting salaries ($150,000 -$250,000) are paid
to neurosurgeons. The lowest ($65,000 - $90,000) are paid
to nephrologists.
After all this training,
and a few more years on the job, experienced doctors earn
among the highest incomes of any occupation. The latest
available data shows that the median income for all physicians
(after expenses like malpractice insurance) is $160,000.
Surgeons earn the highest average net income ($240,000)
while pediatricians earn the lowest ($126,000.)
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