Salary by profession · US · 2026
Physician salary in the US
What is the average physician salary in the US?
The median US physician earns about $236,000 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics), typically $180,000–$350,000. That's around $14,499 a month take-home in a no-tax state, and places the typical physician in roughly the 97th percentile of US earners — $182,990 above the median.
Verified 12 August 2026
Physician pay and take-home
| Salary | Take-home, no-tax state | Take-home, California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry / lower | $180,000 | $134,296 | $121,014 |
| Median | $236,000 | $173,991 | $155,501 |
| Experienced | $350,000 | $246,502 | $217,409 |
How physicians compare
The US median individual income is $53,010. At $236,000, the typical physician earns $182,990 more — around the 97th percentile of all earners. Specialty is the biggest driver — surgeons and specialists earn well above primary care.
Location matters as much as the number. The same salary stretches far further in Texas than California. See what you'd keep in your city →