Best states for a resident physician

Q: What is the best state for resident physicians?

The best state to be a resident physician is Alaska based on resident physician salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for resident physicians?

The highest paying state for resident physicians is Oklahoma based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for resident physicians?

The worst state for resident physicians is Nebraska, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Julie Aultman Ph.D.

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Are you thinking of becoming a resident physician and really want to work at Temple University Hospital? Turns out, your chances to become a resident physician are better in some states than others.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of resident physicians in America is $344,000.

To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for resident physicians.If you are currently seeking employment as a resident physician, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.

10 best states for resident physicians in 2025

1. Alaska
Total resident physician jobs: 111
Average annual salary: $117,512
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $223,000
Location Quotient:
1.86
Resident physician jobs in Alaska
2. Maine
Total resident physician jobs: 196
Average annual salary: $108,003
Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000
Location Quotient:
2.06
Resident physician jobs in Maine
3. North Dakota
Total resident physician jobs: 102
Average annual salary: $108,380
Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000
Location Quotient:
1.53
Resident physician jobs in North Dakota
4. Connecticut
Total resident physician jobs: 274
Average annual salary: $113,688
Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $216,000
Location Quotient:
1.15
Resident physician jobs in Connecticut
5. Oregon
Total resident physician jobs: 327
Average annual salary: $111,342
Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000
Location Quotient:
1.1
Resident physician jobs in Oregon
6. Massachusetts
Total resident physician jobs: 535
Average annual salary: $115,828
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $219,000
Location Quotient:
0.81
Resident physician jobs in Massachusetts
7. Nevada
Total resident physician jobs: 196
Average annual salary: $105,742
Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000
Location Quotient:
1.31
Resident physician jobs in Nevada
8. Pennsylvania
Total resident physician jobs: 1,087
Average annual salary: $104,692
Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000
Location Quotient:
1.3
Resident physician jobs in Pennsylvania
9. Washington
Total resident physician jobs: 534
Average annual salary: $110,777
Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000
Location Quotient:
1.02
Resident physician jobs in Washington
10. Wisconsin
Total resident physician jobs: 776
Average annual salary: $102,323
Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $204,000
Location Quotient:
1.96
Resident physician jobs in Wisconsin

Resident physician jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a resident physician

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a resident physician

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Alaska	$117,512	$61,000	739,795	111
2	Maine	$108,003	$54,000	1,335,907	196
3	North Dakota	$108,380	$55,000	755,393	102
4	Connecticut	$113,688	$59,000	3,588,184	274
5	Oregon	$111,342	$58,000	4,142,776	327
6	Massachusetts	$115,828	$61,000	6,859,819	535
7	Nevada	$105,742	$54,000	2,998,039	196
8	Pennsylvania	$104,692	$53,000	12,805,537	1,087
9	Washington	$110,777	$57,000	7,405,743	534
10	Wisconsin	$102,323	$51,000	5,795,483	776
11	Mississippi	$110,805	$57,000	2,984,100	94
12	West Virginia	$105,182	$53,000	1,815,857	98
13	Rhode Island	$108,609	$56,000	1,059,639	58
14	New Mexico	$101,411	$50,000	2,088,070	254
15	California	$116,519	$62,000	39,536,653	1,747
16	Utah	$107,658	$55,000	3,101,833	112
17	New York	$106,112	$54,000	19,849,399	1,365
18	New Jersey	$109,032	$56,000	9,005,644	469
19	Florida	$104,280	$52,000	20,984,400	1,050
20	Delaware	$108,657	$56,000	961,939	50
21	Maryland	$106,776	$54,000	6,052,177	447
22	Michigan	$96,675	$47,000	9,962,311	636
23	New Hampshire	$96,561	$47,000	1,342,795	177
24	Kentucky	$95,749	$46,000	4,454,189	267
25	Georgia	$100,006	$49,000	10,429,379	659
26	Texas	$100,648	$50,000	28,304,596	1,160
27	Ohio	$98,917	$49,000	11,658,609	466
28	Minnesota	$94,782	$46,000	5,576,606	996
29	Arizona	$96,438	$47,000	7,016,270	558
30	North Carolina	$97,769	$48,000	10,273,419	603
31	Vermont	$96,387	$46,000	623,657	71
32	Virginia	$103,442	$52,000	8,470,020	517
33	Louisiana	$96,550	$47,000	4,684,333	213
34	Tennessee	$94,545	$45,000	6,715,984	371
35	South Dakota	$90,090	$43,000	869,666	166
36	South Carolina	$94,608	$45,000	5,024,369	343
37	Hawaii	$96,231	$48,000	1,427,538	109
38	Arkansas	$95,392	$46,000	3,004,279	89
39	Wyoming	$93,151	$45,000	579,315	41
40	Iowa	$92,808	$44,000	3,145,711	232
41	District of Columbia	$101,305	$51,000	693,972	55
42	Montana	$88,017	$42,000	1,050,493	124
43	Illinois	$92,634	$44,000	12,802,023	814
44	Indiana	$85,742	$40,000	6,666,818	546
45	Kansas	$91,760	$44,000	2,913,123	142
46	Idaho	$93,732	$45,000	1,716,943	74
47	Colorado	$94,239	$45,000	5,607,154	309
48	Alabama	$89,087	$42,000	4,874,747	238
49	Missouri	$90,042	$42,000	6,113,532	303
50	Oklahoma	$82,240	$38,000	3,930,864	201
51	Nebraska	$86,781	$40,000	1,920,076	103

Highest paying states for resident physicians

Rank	State	Avg. Resident Physician Salary
1	Alaska	$117,512
2	Maine	$108,003
3	North Dakota	$108,380
4	Connecticut	$113,688
5	Oregon	$111,342
6	Massachusetts	$115,828
7	Nevada	$105,742
8	Pennsylvania	$104,692
9	Washington	$110,777
10	Wisconsin	$102,323
11	Mississippi	$110,805
12	West Virginia	$105,182
13	Rhode Island	$108,609
14	New Mexico	$101,411
15	California	$116,519
16	Utah	$107,658
17	New York	$106,112
18	New Jersey	$109,032
19	Florida	$104,280
20	Delaware	$108,657
21	Maryland	$106,776
22	Michigan	$96,675
23	New Hampshire	$96,561
24	Kentucky	$95,749
25	Georgia	$100,006
26	Texas	$100,648
27	Ohio	$98,917
28	Minnesota	$94,782
29	Arizona	$96,438
30	North Carolina	$97,769
31	Vermont	$96,387
32	Virginia	$103,442
33	Louisiana	$96,550
34	Tennessee	$94,545
35	South Dakota	$90,090
36	South Carolina	$94,608
37	Hawaii	$96,231
38	Arkansas	$95,392
39	Wyoming	$93,151
40	Iowa	$92,808
41	District of Columbia	$101,305
42	Montana	$88,017
43	Illinois	$92,634
44	Indiana	$85,742
45	Kansas	$91,760
46	Idaho	$93,732
47	Colorado	$94,239
48	Alabama	$89,087
49	Missouri	$90,042
50	Oklahoma	$82,240
51	Nebraska	$86,781

Expert opinions on the best states for resident physicians

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for resident physicians to find work opportunities?
Julie Aultman Ph.D.
Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University
We need this future workforce to be innovative, to make important changes - from environmental and global warming initiatives (bioethicists who have a passion for environmental ethics) to being researchers and advocates for patients and others who might fall victim to the negative impact of the pandemic (clinical ethics, health humanities scholars). The transition to work will be slow, as the revitalization of our national economy, but there will be work.

We need these future minds more than anything right now. But again, mentors are going to be essential for helping these graduates get to that next phase in their lives. I am fully confident my dual-enrolled students (medical or pharmacy students who are also taking the Masters program in Medical Ethics and Humanities) will find work opportunities. For my traditional graduate students who are not in the health professions, there will be roles for these students in medicine and science (e.g., regulatory compliance).

However, I do encourage them to work toward a doctoral program as the MA degree is a non-terminal degree. I have had students receive work prior to the pandemic, and I would suspect similar opportunities post-pandemic, particularly in the sciences where ethics and compliance are so essential.

Resident physician best states FAQs

What is the best state for resident physicians?

What is the highest paying state for resident physicians?

What is the worst state for resident physicians?

Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.

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Best states for Resident Physicians

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total resident physician jobs:	111
Average annual salary:	$117,512
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$61,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$223,000
Location Quotient:	1.86

Best states for a resident physician

10 best states for resident physicians in 2025

1. Alaska

2. Maine

3. North Dakota

4. Connecticut

5. Oregon

6. Massachusetts

7. Nevada

8. Pennsylvania

9. Washington

10. Wisconsin