Residency Choices Heavily Swayed by Salary

More than 90% of medical residents say that salary potential strongly swayed their choice of specialty in some way, according to a recent survey.

Nearly all medical residents—more than 90%—say that salary potential strongly swayed their choice of specialty in some way, according to a recent survey.

The survey, which was conducted by Medscape and polled more than 2,200 residents, found that the average resident earns $61,200, a 3% rise over the last two years, but less than half (47%) of residents feel they are being fairly compensated for their work.

The survey found that the highest paid specialty for residents is Medical Geneticists, taking the top spot with an average salary of $67,500. Allergy and Immunology and HIV/Infectious Diseases tied for the second highest paid specialties, with both offering an average salary of $66,500.

The least paid specialty reported was Family Medicine, with an average annual salary of $57,400, and nearly half of primary care residents stated that they plan to subspecialize, which does not lend much hope to the growing primary care physician shortage.

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