Physician Executives & Medical Directors salary guide

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

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Vice President of Medical Affairs (VPMA) SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Chief Physician Executive / President, Medical Group SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Department Chair / Division Chief SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Medical Director (Practice, Clinic, Region) SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Hospitalist Program Medical Director SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Emergency Department Medical Director SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Chief of Anesthesia / Anesthesia Medical Director SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Hospice Medical Director SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
SNF / Post-Acute Medical Director SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Health Plan Medical Director (Utilization Management) SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Physician Advisor (Utilization Review) SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Director of Advanced Practice / Chief APP Officer SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Medical Director, Value-Based Care / Population Health SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. proxy match.
Senior Medical Director SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.
Regional Medical Director SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers. broader match.

What does this salary guide cover for physician executives and medical directors?

This guide groups physician executive and medical director titles by the work they do for you. It helps you compare leadership scope, clinical judgment, and administrative load across hospital, clinic, payer, and post-acute settings. Use it when you shape a search or check whether a title matches the seat you need.

The title matters, but the actual meetings, call pattern, and reporting line matter more. A broad executive title can still carry a narrow remit if the organization keeps major decisions elsewhere.

What does the person handle during a typical workday?

A physician executive may start with performance reviews, staffing issues, and quality discussions. Later, they may meet with operations leaders, answer physician questions, and review policy changes. In a medical director seat, the day often mixes patient-facing judgment with oversight of protocols, schedules, and peer feedback.

Ask who owns each decision. Ask what the physician can approve, what goes to operations, and what needs board or chief executive sign-off. That split changes the scope more than the title alone.

Which titles usually carry the broadest scope?

CMO, VPMA, and Chief Physician Executive seats usually carry the broadest internal influence. They often speak for physicians in system meetings and help set standards across multiple sites. Department Chair, Division Chief, and Regional Medical Director seats can be narrower, but they still affect clinical behavior across groups.

A physician owner may want one leader for strategy and another for daily site issues. A hospital may want a title with enough authority to handle peer concerns, call coverage, and service line changes.

How does setting change the work and pay mix?

Pay varies with scope, time commitment, and how much of the role is administrative. A practice medical director may spend part of the week in clinic and part in meetings. A hospital, hospice, or post-acute director may carry more oversight work, more calls, and more coordination with staff and families.

Health systems, medical groups, health plans, and post-acute organizations do not buy the same mix of physician judgment and management time. That is why you should compare the work description before you compare the offer.

What do we ask before we start a search?

We ask who the leader reports to, what problems they will own, and where their authority stops. We also ask how often they round, who covers during travel, and which committees they attend. Those details tell us whether the role is truly executive or mostly advisory.

For a buyer, the best fit comes from plain answers. Tell us how the group makes decisions, which service lines matter most, and where the current handoff breaks down.

When should you ask for non-permanent coverage?

Some physician leadership gaps are short. Others come from leave, a transition, or a sudden vacancy. In those cases, contract coverage can keep meetings moving and keep physician communication steady while you search for a permanent leader.

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 tell a physician executive seat from a department medical director seat?

Look at who makes the final call. If the physician sets direction across multiple groups, that leans executive. If the person mainly runs one department, program, or clinic, it is usually a medical director seat.

What should we ask before we open a CMO or VPMA search?

Ask which decisions sit with the physician and which sit with operations. Ask how often they meet with service line leaders, what issues come to them first, and what happens after hours. Those answers shape the search more than the title does.

Can one physician cover both clinical work and leadership work?

Yes, and many of these jobs do. The key is to define how much time goes to patient-facing work, meetings, review work, and coaching. If the split is unclear, the search can miss the right fit.

When does non-permanent coverage make more sense than waiting?

Use contract coverage when the seat is open and the work cannot pause. It can keep reporting, meetings, and coverage moving while you conduct the search. That is especially useful for regional roles and program leadership seats.