These Are The 10 States With The Highest Salaries For Doctors

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Salary remains a top priority for job seekers across various demographics, making it essential to understand how much doctors earn in different states. As the healthcare landscape evolves, so do the salary expectations and opportunities for medical professionals.

While numerous factors influence individual salaries, comprehensive data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides valuable insight into average doctor salaries by state, segmented by experience level. Although specific city salaries may vary from state averages, these figures offer a solid baseline for what doctors can expect to earn.

To explore the current state of doctor salaries across the United States, we’ve utilized the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, along with adjustments for the cost of living in each state. This is crucial, as a salary in North Carolina stretches much further than the same salary in California.

After accounting for these factors, the state with the highest adjusted salary for doctors is Arkansas. Here’s a quick overview of the top ten states for doctor salaries:

Let’s delve into the methodology behind these findings and review the complete ranking of states.

How We Determined Doctor Pay By State

We analyzed the most recent average annual salary data for doctors from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, specifically their “Occupational Employment Statistics.” To ensure a fair comparison across states, we incorporated the cost of living for each state into our analysis.

We established an index by dividing the average wage for doctors in a state by its cost of living relative to the national average. For instance, California’s cost of living index is 135.9, with an average pay of $199,200, resulting in the following index value:

$199,200 * (100 / 135.9) = $146,578

States were then ranked based on this index, with the highest score indicating the best average salary for doctors.

Here’s a comprehensive ranking of all states.

Detailed List Of Doctor Salaries By State

Rank	State	Adjusted Salary	Average Wage	Cost Of Living
1	Arkansas	$304,661	$265,360	87.1
2	Georgia	$284,868	$260,370	91.4
3	Indiana	$281,910	$252,310	89.5
4	Mississippi	$280,302	$240,780	85.9
5	Alabama	$274,495	$250,340	91.2
6	North Carolina	$265,250	$249,070	93.9
7	Wyoming	$251,677	$231,040	91.8
8	Louisiana	$250,864	$237,820	94.8
9	South Dakota	$248,081	$257,260	103.7
10	Missouri	$247,345	$223,600	90.4
11	Kentucky	$246,154	$222,770	90.5
12	New Mexico	$242,186	$233,710	96.5
13	Iowa	$240,648	$218,990	91.0
14	Wisconsin	$234,958	$227,440	96.8
15	Utah	$233,956	$217,580	93.0
16	Minnesota	$230,674	$232,520	100.8
17	Nebraska	$227,237	$208,150	91.6
18	Kansas	$226,740	$203,840	89.9
19	Oklahoma	$221,782	$197,830	89.2
20	Montana	$221,180	$222,950	100.8
21	Nevada	$220,077	$227,340	103.3
22	South Carolina	$216,703	$214,970	99.2
23	Ohio	$212,420	$199,250	93.8
24	Florida	$209,013	$205,460	98.3
25	Washington	$205,095	$215,760	105.2
26	Arizona	$195,959	$192,040	98.0
27	Illinois	$195,761	$185,190	94.6
28	Tennessee	$195,749	$175,000	89.4
29	Virginia	$195,446	$197,010	100.8
30	Texas	$194,024	$175,980	90.7
31	Delaware	$193,856	$196,570	101.4
32	New Hampshire	$191,034	$223,510	117.0
33	Colorado	$186,069	$193,140	103.8
34	Oregon	$185,821	$214,810	115.6
35	Maine	$184,855	$204,820	110.8
36	New Jersey	$172,961	$210,840	121.9
37	Massachusetts	$172,743	$230,440	133.4
38	Pennsylvania	$168,609	$170,970	101.4
39	Maryland	$168,095	$210,960	125.5
40	Alaska	$164,050	$215,070	131.1
41	Rhode Island	$160,803	$194,090	120.7
42	Michigan	$160,764	$143,080	89.0
43	Connecticut	$151,425	$193,370	127.7
44	Vermont	$147,250	$178,320	121.1
45	California	$146,578	$199,200	135.9
46	New York	$142,877	$187,170	131.0
47	Hawaii	$124,586	$209,180	167.9

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Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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