While a specialty in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) is a highly fulfilling career, compensation is a significant consideration. New physiatrists or established professionals searching for a new position need accurate information regarding salary potential and the factors that can influence compensation.
How Much Does a Physiatrist Make?
Physiatry is a growing field, and health care facilities need more specialists who can lead rehabilitation efforts and determine the type of treatment needed to address physical, occupational and mental health needs. Beyond having a medical degree, physiatrists spend years honing their skills to earn their certification.
With this extent of dedication, your education and experience should come with comparable compensation. So, let's explore the current physiatry salary landscape.
Average Physiatrist Salary in the U.S.
Physiatrists earn approximately $260,000 on average in the United States. Compensation in physiatry ranges from the bottom 10% of people just starting their careers- who make about $147,000, to the top 10% who make as much as $635,000.
Many factors influence a physiatrist's pay. Those who focus on PM&R subspecialties tend to earn more. For example, physiatrists specializing in pain management can perform advanced treatment techniques, increasing their overall salary potential. Other considerations that impact earnings include:
- Location: Location is one of the main factors influencing PM&R salaries. Looking at the national average can be misleading, as there are distinguishable variations from state to state, often due to the cost of living and local demand for the service.
- Subspecialty: Your physiatry subspecialty will determine how much you make. For instance, professionals generally earn more if they specialize in brain injury than in sports medicine.
- Expertise shortage: Specializing in an area with expertise shortages can give you an advantage during salary negotiations. In areas where it may be difficult to enlist qualified applicants, employers tend to pay more to entice physiatrists. Rural areas often offer surprisingly higher wages than their metro counterparts.
- Years of experience: As your years of experience increase, you'll likely earn more because your skills are more developed.
- Performance: Exceptional performance can set you apart and lead to higher pay.
Here is a breakdown of physiatrist salaries by region and state.
Subspecialty Physiatry Salary Estimates
Let's look at the salary estimates of the seven physiatrist subspecialties:
- Pediatric rehabilitation medicine: According to ZipRecruiter's estimation, the average pay for a pediatric physiatrist is $250,000.
- Brain injury medicine: A brain injury doctor in the U.S. earns an average of $267,794, according to Salary.com estimates.
- Hospice and palliative care: ZipRecruiter approximates the average pay of a hospice palliative care doctor as $194,642.
- Pain medicine: A pain medicine physiatrist makes an average of $335,582 based on ZipRecruiter's approximation.
- Sports medicine: ZipRecruiter places the average salary of a sports medicine PM&R doctor at around $125,000.
- Neuromuscular medicine: According to Glassdoor estimates, a neuromuscular doctor makes an estimated total pay of $99,467.
- Spinal cord injury medicine: Based on Payscale, the average salary for a spinal cord injury PM&R specialist is $226,000.
Medrina, the largest physician-owned group in the nation, offers an average physiatrist salary that's 30% higher than the national average.
Get Medrina's salary map to view the average incomes in other states.
Here are the top five states based on the average PM&R income at our organization:
| State | Average Physiatrist Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $291,655 |
| New Jersey | $251,992 |
| Wisconsin | $250,393 |
| Nevada | $248,267 |
| Wyoming | $248,229 |
Factors That Can Influence a PM&R Doctor's Salary
Whether beginning your career as a physiatrist or negotiating a new position, there are many factors you should consider before signing the dotted line. It's reasonable to ask how much you will make in your first year and the following years as your skills and experience grow.
Let's discuss some important points that can influence your salary negotiations.
Fixed Salary vs. Production-Based Salary
Your financial compensation could be a fixed salary, a production-based salary or a combination of both. A fixed salary is an agreed-upon yearly income that remains constant. Production-based earnings are tied to the revenue you bring in for the group.
A production-based salary has the potential to exceed a fixed salary. However, there will be times that are considered non-productive despite being necessary for operating the practice.
Benefits Beyond Compensation
Many physicians focus on compensation. However, it's also important to consider the benefits a practice or company is offering. When everything is tallied, a lower salary but excellent benefits could outdo a position with a higher salary. Benefits that enhance clinical efficiency, provide operational support, and ensure compliance are all important and impactful considerations.
Why Join Medrina?
If you want to join an organization that understands and prioritizes your needs, consider Medrina. Here are the benefits you'll enjoy from working with us:
- Recognition programs: Because we care about motivating, inspiring and appreciating our staff, we'll celebrate your outstanding work, contributions, personal growth and milestones. We also provide regular feedback to help you grow professionally and personally.
- Competitive pay: We offer highly competitive salary packages because we appreciate your commitment and expertise.
- Team collaborations: You'll collaborate with other professionals from different disciplines to build holistic and comprehensive treatment plans that enhance the quality of patient care. A culture of collaboration and open communication is also beneficial to employees, as it increases job satisfaction.
- Healthy work-life balance: Our schedule promotes a healthy work-life balance by eliminating mandatory calls and weekend shifts and encouraging self-care to boost motivation and efficiency. You can also work with us in a salaried position or as an independent contractor, allowing you to choose the option that best works for you.
- Professional development: We offer comprehensive physician-to-physician training to give you the tools you need to thrive in your position. You'll have everything you need to grow professionally, from mentorship programs to the latest research and technology.
- Supportive leadership: Our leaders understand the challenges of navigating the profession and will provide valuable advice to help you succeed in your career.
- Support services: We relieve your administrative burden by providing support services such as billing, coding, financial reporting and compliance so you can focus on caring for patients.
Explore Careers in Physiatry With Medrina
As you navigate the world of physiatry, partnering with Medrina can help guide your career decisions. We are the nation's largest physiatry group. Expand your physiatry career horizons with Medrina by contacting us today.
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