25 Best States For Physicians and Surgeons

If you are a physician or surgeon looking to find your perfect new home state, take a look into our list of the 25 best states for physicians and surgeons.

Many people have a great fear of visiting the doctor. I have personally had quite a few awful and particularly traumatizing experiences with various medical professionals. Most notably was a situation in which my appendix was actively bursting, and I ended up waiting for 12 hours (with no pain killers) and almost going septic before my parents hijacked a wheelchair and rushed me to a different hospital. Because of most peoples’ innate fear of doctor’s offices and hospitals, medical professionals have a great responsibility to not only perform their main medical function, but to also provide some level of bedside comfort to their patients. 

The decision to enter the medical field is quite a commitment. A medical education in America generally requires a 4-year Bachelors degree, a 4-year medical degree, and 3 to 7 years spent in an extremely intense residency program. The hours are long and irregular. The mental, physical, and emotional tolls are enormous. Your entire life is dedicated to the wellbeing of others. This can— of course— be extraordinarily rewarding, but also quite stressful.

Also, if you are a prospective doctor who has not yet determined which field of medicine you should practice, feel free to take a look into our article on the 25 best states for pediatricians.         

Deciding which states qualify as the “best” is not a simple task. Different factors matter more to different people. We decided to consult the Bureau of Labor Statistics for information on the average mean wage and the number of employees in each state. We then sourced information on the cost of living index from Missouri Economic Research And Information Center. Considering all of these factors, we were able to sort our list.

Without further ado, here is our list of 25 best states for physicians and surgeons.

25. Virginia

Cost of living index: 100.2

Annual mean wage: $224,380

Hourly mean wage: $107.87

Number of employees: 7,360

24. Ohio

Cost of living index: 93

Annual mean wage: $208,440

Hourly mean wage: $100.21

Number of employees: 14,550

23. Louisiana

Cost of living index: 94.4

Annual mean wage: $212,920

Hourly mean wage: $102.36

Number of employees: 3,560

22. North Carolina

Cost of living index: 94.2

Annual mean wage: $213,140

Hourly mean wage: $102.47

Number of employees: 10,740

21. Missouri

Cost of living index: 90.8

Annual mean wage: $206,070

Hourly mean wage: $99.07

Number of employees: 4,320

20. North Dakota

Cost of living index: 98.9

Annual mean wage: $224,550

Hourly mean wage: $107.95

Number of employees: 400

19. Kansas

Cost of living index: 90.4

Annual mean wage: $206,530

Hourly mean wage: $99.29

Number of employees: 4,170

18. New Hampshire

Cost of living index: 119.2

Annual mean wage: $272,820

Hourly mean wage: $131.16

Number of employees: 1,820

17. Texas

Cost of living index: 90.7

Annual mean wage: $207,750

Hourly mean wage: $99.87

Number of employees: 18,860

16. Colorado

Cost of living index: 102.1

Annual mean wage: $239,540

Hourly mean wage: $115.16

Number of employees: 2,530

15. West Virginia

Cost of living index: 95.7

Annual mean wage: $229,110

Hourly mean wage: $110.14

Number of employees: 2,990

14. Montana

Cost of living index: 100.8

Annual mean wage: $242,010

Hourly mean wage: $116.35

Number of employees: 1,100

13. South Dakota

Cost of living index: 102.8

Annual mean wage: $248,270

Hourly mean wage: $119.36

Number of employees: 410

12. Utah

Cost of living index: 92.8

Annual mean wage: $224,260

Hourly mean wage: $107.81

Number of employees: 1,850

We’re halfway through our list of best states for physicians and surgeons, and now, let’s see the other half.

11. Georgia

Cost of living index: 91.4

Annual mean wage: $221,370

Hourly mean wage: $106.42

Number of employees: 9,460

10. New Mexico

Cost of living index: 95.7

Annual mean wage: $233,660

Hourly mean wage: $112.33

Number of employees: 1,700

9. Idaho

Cost of living index: 89.6

Annual mean wage: $219,520

Hourly mean wage: $105.53

Number of employees: 960

8. Iowa

Cost of living index: 91.7

Annual mean wage: $228,980

Hourly mean wage: $110.08

Number of employees: 2,600

7. Minnesota

Cost of living index: 101.1

Annual mean wage: $253,440

Hourly mean wage: $121.84

Number of employees: 3,980

6. Wisconsin

Cost of living index: 96.9

Annual mean wage: $251,400

Hourly mean wage: $120.86

Number of employees: 5,580

5. Oklahoma

Cost of living index: 88.6

Annual mean wage: $230,060

Hourly mean wage: $110.60

Number of employees: 2,670

4. Indiana

Cost of living index: 87.9

Annual mean wage: $229,120

Hourly mean wage: $110.15

Number of employees: 8,990

3. Alabama

Cost of living index: 91.2

Annual mean wage: $242,890

Hourly mean wage: $116.77

Number of employees: 5,350

2. Tennessee

Cost of living index: 89.8

Annual mean wage: $247,360

Hourly mean wage: $118.92

Number of employees: 6,220

1. Wyoming

Cost of living index: 91.7

Annual mean wage: $259,940

Hourly mean wage: $124.97

Number of employees: 380

This was our list of 25 best states for physicians and surgeons. We hope we managed to show you some great options, and what you should expect from each state when deciding where to move.