Medical Specialty Physicians salary guide

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Published BLS wages for this family. BLS OEWS May 2025.

Cardiologist (Non-Invasive) SOC 29-1212, Cardiologists. broader match.
Interventional Cardiologist SOC 29-1212, Cardiologists. broader match.
Cardiac Electrophysiologist SOC 29-1212, Cardiologists. broader match.
Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiologist SOC 29-1212, Cardiologists. broader match.
Gastroenterologist SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Pulmonary & Critical Care Physician SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Nephrologist SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Endocrinologist SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Rheumatologist SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Hematologist / Medical Oncologist SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Radiation Oncologist SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Neurologist SOC 29-1217, Neurologists. direct match.
Infectious Disease Physician SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Dermatologist SOC 29-1213, Dermatologists. direct match.
Allergist / Immunologist SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Physiatrist (PM&R) SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Interventional Pain Management Physician SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Sleep Medicine Physician SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Hospice & Palliative Medicine Physician SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Psychiatrist SOC 29-1223, Psychiatrists. direct match.
Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist SOC 29-1223, Psychiatrists. broader match.
Addiction Medicine Physician SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Pediatric Subspecialist (Cardiology, Hem/Onc, GI, Endocrinology) SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other. broader match.
Cardiology Medical Director SOC 29-1212, Cardiologists. broader match.

Which physicians belong in this specialty guide?

This guide covers specialty physicians in hospital, clinic, and procedure settings. It includes cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, dermatology, psychiatry, oncology, and related subspecialties. Some titles map to broader physician groups, so we sort them by daily work, not title alone.

When you review candidates, confirm the actual clinical mix. An outpatient neurologist does different work than one covering stroke calls. A cardiology medical director also has administrative decisions that do not belong to bedside care alone.

What changes pay for these roles?

Pay changes with call, procedures, clinic time, and supervision duties. A physician who reads studies or performs procedures carries different time demands than one focused on office visits. Leadership titles also add meetings, chart review, and peer review.

We ask who sets schedules, who owns call coverage, and who signs off on templates or procedure blocks. Ownership should decide which pieces are fixed and which are variable. Those answers shape the offer and the type of physician we should target.

What does a typical workday look like?

A workday may begin with charts, inbox messages, and handoffs from other clinicians. Then the physician may move into clinic visits, inpatient rounds, procedures, consults, or study reads. Some specialties end the day with after-hours calls or follow-up on test results.

The exact mix matters more than the title. An interventional cardiologist may spend much of the day in the lab. A psychiatrist may split time between intake visits, follow-ups, and care coordination with therapists or primary care.

Who makes the clinical and business decisions?

The physician should own medical judgment. That includes diagnosis, treatment choice, and whether a patient needs referral, procedure, or admission. The practice or facility should own schedule design, support staffing, billing flow, and resource approval.

For leadership roles, spell out where authority stops. A department chair, service line lead, or medical director may advise on quality and operations. We ask which decisions need physician signoff and which go to administration.

What should we ask in the interview?

Ask about patient mix, call patterns, procedure expectations, and handoff style. Ask how the physician manages urgent inbox work, missed follow-up, and cross-cover issues. Ask what support they need from nurses, technicians, coders, or advanced practice providers.

For director roles, ask about prior committee work and conflict resolution. Ask how they handle peer feedback, schedule changes, and policy updates. That keeps the conversation tied to the real day, not a title sheet.

How do contract, travel, and locum coverage fit this guide?

Some groups need short-term coverage while they search for the right permanent physician. Others need help during leave, growth, or a sudden gap in call coverage. That work should be scoped before anyone starts.

We arrange locum tenens, travel and contract coverage on request. Credentialing, licensing and malpractice coverage are confirmed per engagement before anyone starts.

What else should you ask about this edition?

How do we compare a procedural specialist with a clinic-based physician?

Start with what fills the day. A procedural specialist spends more time on scheduled cases, recovery follow-up, and result review. A clinic-based physician spends more time on visits, inbox work, and care coordination, so the mix should be written into the search brief.

What should we clarify before hiring a cardiology medical director?

Define which decisions the director can make without approval. Ask whether the role covers quality review, scheduling, peer feedback, or protocol updates. Also confirm how much time stays clinical and how much shifts to meetings and oversight.

How do we screen for call burden in neurology or cardiology?

Ask who covers nights, weekends, and backup coverage. Then ask which events trigger a call and which stay with another clinician or hospitalist. That keeps the search aligned with the real schedule, not a generic job title.

What should we review for psychiatry, addiction medicine, or child psychiatry roles?

Review visit type, patient age group, and follow-up rhythm. Also ask who handles therapy links, medication refills, and crisis escalation. Those details change the workload more than the specialty label alone.