17 Highest Paying States for Doctors

The United States is well aware of the importance of doctors in our world, so let’s take a look at the 17 highest paying states for doctors. Doctors or physicians are absolutely integral to the healthcare in the country. The United States has realized this fact and has always given due importance to physicians. In fact, apart from the Netherlands and Australia, the United States has the highest paid doctors in the entire world, as seen in the 16 highest paying countries for doctors. The main reason behind this is the fact that the United States does not have regulated healthcare unlike European countries. This has resulted in both public and private healthcare seekers having to pay more in the country for treatments, with private payers paying more than 70% over their European counterparts! This in turn results in the doctors earning more as well.

However, the pay for doctors doesn’t just vary internationally; the pay can differ significantly within the country as well. Since each state has its own medical board and its own rules, the pay for physicians varies greatly as well. In fact, you might be surprised to know that there is a difference of over $100,000 between the states with the highest and lowest average doctor salary in the country. As you can see, the difference is greater than what many people can even dream of making in a year, which is a testament to the vast variation in the salary paid by the states.

According to a report published by Medscape, an interesting point was noted which basically states that rural areas actually pay more to doctors than their urban counterparts. This probably has something to do with the fact that such rural areas have fewer doctors, and hence, due to the gap between supply and demand, the doctors present are paid handsomely for their efforts. The U.S. government also funds some programs to funnel doctors into rural locations.

We have created a list of the highest paying states for doctors. As mentioned earlier, there is significant variation in the salaries paid in each state. In order to determine our ranking, we have used the Bureau of Labor Statistics as a source for the annual average physician salary for each state. The Bureau of Labor Statistics determined its ranking via data which has been collected from employers belonging to all of the states in the United States of America.

Without further ado, here are the 17 highest paying states for doctors in the US, starting with number 17.

17. Utah

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $209,430

16. Washington

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $210,260

15. Maine

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $210,870

14. Wisconsin

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $211.870

13. New Mexico

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $214,360

12. Alabama

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $216,330

11. Colorado

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $217,000

10. North Dakota

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $217,010

9. Iowa

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $219,570

8. Idaho

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $220,590

7. Indiana

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $221,190

6. Tennessee

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $224,900

5. Wyoming

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $226,310

4. Montana

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $228,220

3. New Hampshire

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $231,550

2. South Dakota

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $232,530

1. Minnesota

Average annual salary for physicians in the state: $235,150

Minnesota has the highest average salary for physicians in the United States, allowing it to top the list of 17 highest paying states for doctors. However, it is also extremely important to note that Minnesota is not a tiny state by any stretch of the imagination, with a population of 5.4 million. Hence, the wage can actually vary significantly within the state as well.

On the other hand, it should come as absolutely no surprise whatsoever that Minnesota tops the list. Not only is the state one of the best in the country when it comes to the standard of living, it is also one of the wealthiest states in the US, not to mention one of the highest educated ones as well.