Find out about the different doctor pay grades in 2023.
The information here coversdifferent positions, including doctors in training, specialty doctors, consultants and GPs working in England.
Doctors in training
As a doctor in training you’ll earn a basic salary, plus pay for any hours over 40 per week, a 37 per cent enhancement for working nights, a weekend allowance for any work at the weekend, an availability allowance if you are required to be available on-call, and other potential pay premia.
In Foundation training, you will earn a basic salary of £32,398 to £37,303 (from 1 April 2023).
If you’re a doctor starting your specialist training in 2023 your basic salary will be £43,923 to £63,152.
Specialty doctors and specialist payscale
If you’re working as a specialty doctor you’ll earn a basic salary of £52,530 to £82,400. If you are a specialist grade doctor you'll earn a basic salary of £83,945 to £92,275.
Consultants
As a consultant from 1 April 2023, you'll earn a basic salary of £93,666 to £126,281 per year, depending on the length of your service. You may apply for local Clinical Excellence Awards and national Clinical Impact Awards (previously known as Clinical Excellence Awards). This is a competitive process which takes into account work that you do over and above delivering your basic job requirements. In addition, if you take on extra responsibilities, for example in management or education, you may expect to be paid more.
Consultants can also supplement their salary by working in private practice if they wish. The opportunities available will depend on their specialty areas and the time they wish to spend on this outside of their NHS contracted hours.
General practitioners
There are two contractual options for GPs. They can be:
1) independent contractors who are in charge of running their own practices as business either alone or in partnerships. They have autonomy in how services are delivered according to their contract with NHS England. In England, these GPs have increasing responsibility for the commissioning of hospital services for the community
2) salaried GPs who are employees of independent contractor practices or directly employed by primary care organisations. From 1 April 2023, the pay range for salaried GPs is £68,975 to £104,085.
Further information
For more information about pay for doctors, visit the NHS Employers website.
FAQs
By accounting for all streams of income, they revealed that doctors make more than anyone thought — and more than any other occupation we've measured. In the prime earning years of 40 to 55, the average physician made $405,000 in 2017 — almost all of it (94 percent) from wages.
Is the pay worth being a doctor? ›
Earning 4-5 times the average is a great income. You can have a wonderful financial life on an income of $275,000. You can pay off your debts, live comfortably, never worry about money, become financially independent by mid-career, help others, and even buy a few luxuries along the way.
Do doctors get kickbacks for ordering tests? ›
Most of your healthcare providers do not earn any profits based on your medical testing. Kickbacks or commissions, where a laboratory or facility pays a healthcare provider for referrals, are illegal in most states in the United States, although there are certainly examples of fraud.
Why do we pay doctors so much? ›
“The US does not have enough doctors, and the shortage is contributing to the high costs patients pay when they go to the hospital. Compared to other industrialized countries, the US ranks near the bottom in supply of doctors—only 2.6 doctors per 1,000 patients.
Why don't doctors get paid enough? ›
Unlike most other professions, there is a ceiling to what most doctors can earn. Physician compensation is tightly controlled by the government and insurance companies. Medicine is also the only profession where its members are required to sometimes work for free.
Can a doctor make $1 million a year? ›
How many were women? The University of California's health system paid 113 medical professors at least $1 million in total pay last year.
Do doctors struggle financially? ›
Despite high earnings, physicians often face financial difficulty due to the burdens of student loan debt and other professional expenses.
Do doctors actually make a lot of money? ›
In 2022, the median annual wage for physicians and surgeons was $229,300, according to the BLS. This was nearly five times more than America's general median wage, which was $46,310.
What pays better than a doctor? ›
21 highest-paying nonmedical jobs
- Judge. National average salary: $75,297 per year Primary duties: A judge hears allegations from defending and prosecuting parties to decide on cases in court. ...
- Nuclear engineer. ...
- Risk manager. ...
- Compensation and benefits manager. ...
- Statistician. ...
- Finance manager. ...
- Front-end developer. ...
- Economist.
The top two reasons the doctors ordered these tests were fear of missing something that would help them diagnose their patients, and protection against malpractice.
Professional Incentives
This can include situations where hospital administrators put pressure on surgeons to generate more money by performing more procedures,24 or where hospitals or hospital systems have purchased very expensive surgical equipment or devices and need to justify their use.
Do doctors get money from drug reps? ›
Background: Financial payments from the drug industry to US physicians are common. Payments may influence physicians' clinical decision-making and drug prescribing.
What is the average salary of a doctor in the US? ›
How Much Do Doctors Make Per Year? According to the MedScape Physician Compensation Report, doctor salaries continue to rise. In 2023, Primary Care Physicians in the United States earned an average of $265,000, while Specialists earned an average of $382,000.
Why are doctors paid more than nurses? ›
Doctors usually earn significantly higher salaries than nurse practitioners due to their extensive training and specialized expertise.
How much does the average person spend on doctors? ›
Need help to cover that price?
| StateName | Average Cash Price |
|---|
| California | $103 - $158 |
| Colorado | $91 - $139 |
| Connecticut | $99 - $152 |
| Delaware | $97 - $148 |
47 more rowsAccording to Glassdoor, the average doctor's salary in USA is $294,000 (INR 2,25,70,274.58) per year, with the average annual highest wage at $208,000 (INR 17,085,224) and the lowest reported salary at $126,470 (INR 10,388,309). This salary encompasses base salaries, transportation, and housing benefits.
Are US doctors paid well? ›
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 816,900 Americans were working as physicians or surgeons as of May 2022. In 2022, the median annual wage for physicians and surgeons was $229,300, according to the BLS. This was nearly five times more than America's general median wage, which was $46,310.
Are doctors highly paid in USA? ›
Doctor's salaries in the USA are the highest in comparison to other professions. Those who complete their medical degrees in the USA - MBBS or MD or MS or even a Doctoral degree in Medicine or Surgery can earn up to USD 340,000 annually based on their specialisation.
Do doctors make good money in us? ›
In 2023, it's safe to say that becoming a doctor will secure you a healthy annual salary. However, some doctors are making wages that far exceed the national median of $208,000 per year.
