The 2026 Medscape Physician Compensation Report puts the average US physician at $386,000, up roughly 3% on the year and ahead of inflation. The average tells you almost nothing.
I pulled Medscape, Doximity, and Marit side by side, marked where they disagree, and laid out which survey is actually useful at the contract table. The pediatric pay gap, the gender gap, the 33% inflation-adjusted Medicare decline since 2001, and the seven specialties that lost ground in 2025 are all in there.
If you're benchmarking, negotiating, or just trying to figure out whether your offer is fair, this is the piece
Don’t forget to read these from Physician on FIRE:
Bonaventure is a principal-led multifamily real estate firm for accredited investors looking for passive real estate exposure.
Bonaventure is a principal-led multifamily real estate firm for accredited investors looking for passive real estate exposure.
They’ve invested $590M+ of their own capital alongside investors across 46 properties and 9,000+ units, with 26+ years of multifamily experience and $2.8B in assets under management.
Their portfolio is backed by 93% fixed-rate debt, which helps limit long-term rate sensitivity. If you’re looking at where passive multifamily real estate may fit in your portfolio, Bonaventure’s firm overview is a good place to start.
Physician income is complex. Your tax team should be built for it. Doc Wealth is physician-founded and works exclusively with 1099 and independent physicians.
Here's what sets us apart:
Tax planning, filing, entity formation, payroll, and bookkeeping all under one roof with prompt, dependable communication
We only work with independent physicians, so we know your income inside and out
Year-round guidance, not just tax season scrambling
Thousands of physicians rely on us to keep more of what they earn
