Report: Internists among the lowest earners of all physicians

Despite the average earnings of internists increasing from $243,000 in 2019 to $251,000 in 2020, physicians in this specialty are still amongst the lowest paid, according to the Medscape Internist Compensation Report 2020.

Top earning specialties included orthopedics ($511,000), plastic surgery ($479,000), and otolaryngology ($455,000) whereas the lowest included diabetes/endocrinology ($236,000), family medicine ($234,000), and public health/preventative medicine ($232,000).

Out of the 28 specialties included, internists were the 24th lowest earners.

The report also noted that a gender pay gap is prevalent among specialists, with male internists earning approximately 23% more than female internists.

Only about half of internists think they are fairly compensated, according to the report.

Reference

Martin KL. Medscape Internist Compensation Report. 2020; available at: https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/2020-compensation-internist-6012671#1