Doctor Salary Calculator: What to Use for Physician Pay in 2026
For 2026 physician salary estimates, WeekdayDoc live listings show a median advertised salary of about $302k, with state medians ranging from about $245k to $405k.
Across 8,767 live physician listings that state annual pay, the median advertised salary is about $302k. In the last 12 months of postings, the national median advertised salary is about $317k, which is the better input when a doctor salary calculator asks for a current market benchmark.
The answer changes by state, schedule, and contract language. State medians range from about $245k in North Carolina to about $405k in Montana, and live listings that mention work RVUs or production pay show a median advertised salary of $360k.
What salary should I put into a doctor salary calculator?
For a national physician estimate, start with the live median advertised annual salary of about $302k. That figure comes from the 8,767 live listings that state annual pay on WeekdayDoc.
The middle of the live advertised pay range is wide. The 25th percentile is $264k, and the 75th percentile is $425k. A calculator result near either end should be checked against the state, schedule terms, and whether the role includes production pay.
Pay transparency is still incomplete. WeekdayDoc has 22,693 live physician listings across 52 states, and 38.6% of those listings state annual pay. That means posted salary data is useful, but it should be read as advertised employer pricing rather than total physician income.
For specialty-level context, see the. For a map view of physician salary by state, see the.
How much does location change a doctor salary estimate?
Location is the largest visible input in the physician salary estimate. Among 51 states with enough salary data to compare, the median of state medians is about $307k.
Montana has the highest state median advertised salary at about $405k. North Carolina has the lowest state median at about $245k. The gap between the highest and lowest state median is about $160k.
| State | Median advertised salary | Salary observations | Cost-of-living-adjusted median | RPP | Work-life score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | $404,638 | 37 | $427,736 | 94.6 | 5.3/10 |
| New Hampshire | $375,795 | 62 | $360,648 | 104.2 | 5.2/10 |
| Kentucky | $371,571 | 73 | $411,941 | 90.2 | 5/10 |
| Alaska | $367,388 | 35 | $358,777 | 102.4 | 4.8/10 |
| Utah | $359,283 | 82 | $363,279 | 98.9 | 5.5/10 |
| Iowa | $355,500 | 96 | $404,897 | 87.8 | 4.9/10 |
| Idaho | $354,288 | 17 | $370,982 | 95.5 | 4.5/10 |
| North Dakota | $352,315 | 72 | $395,860 | 89 | 4.7/10 |
| Minnesota | $344,099 | 567 | $348,985 | 98.6 | 5.2/10 |
| Delaware | $329,373 | 84 | $330,033 | 99.8 | 4.8/10 |
| Arkansas | $326,469 | 23 | $375,684 | 86.9 | 4.6/10 |
| Indiana | $325,397 | 112 | $348,764 | 93.3 | 4.5/10 |
| Wisconsin | $321,080 | 108 | $341,211 | 94.1 | 5/10 |
| Illinois | $318,441 | 1103 | $318,441 | 100 | 4.7/10 |
| Nevada | $315,481 | 136 | $315,481 | 100 | 5.3/10 |
The table is a salary-ordered view, not a ranking of practice quality. It shows how posted physician pay varies before a clinician considers specialty, call burden, employer type, and local market fit.
Where does physician pay go furthest after cost of living?
A salary calculator that includes cost of living should not treat the posted dollar figure as the only input. WeekdayDoc adjusts state medians with BEA Regional Price Parities, which compare local prices with the national level.
Montana has the highest cost-of-living-adjusted median at about $428k, with a regional price parity of 94.6. The District of Columbia has the lowest cost-of-living-adjusted median at about $240k, with a regional price parity of 109.9.
Some states move noticeably after the cost adjustment. Kentucky has a median advertised salary of about $372k and a cost-of-living-adjusted median of about $412k. Iowa has a median advertised salary of about $356k and a cost-of-living-adjusted median of about $405k.
How should schedule terms affect a physician salary estimate?
Schedule terms can explain why similar salaries feel different across roles. Among live physician listings, 10.1% are remote, 18.6% state no call, 20.9% state no weekends, and 15.5% state no nights.
Remote listings have a median advertised salary of about $311k. On-site listings have a median advertised salary of $300k. Those medians describe posted salary for jobs that state pay, not a guaranteed premium for a schedule type.
WeekdayDoc’s listing-based work-life score adds another view of schedule language. Rhode Island has the highest state work-life score at 6/10. West Virginia has the lowest state work-life score at 4/10. Across live listings, 22.8% score 7+ on the work-life scale.
For deeper work-life context, see the Burnout Index.
Which contract terms belong outside the base salary number?
Several contract terms affect total compensation but should not be folded into an annual salary input unless the calculator has a separate field. A sign-on bonus appears in 6.5% of live listings, and the median stated sign-on bonus is $50k.
Loan repayment appears in 14.3% of live listings. Relocation assistance appears in 20.6%. PSLF-eligible employers account for 9.3% of live listings, and malpractice coverage is stated in 32.7%.
Some terms are stated less often but still matter when comparing offers. A retirement match is stated in 2.5% of live listings. Median stated PTO is 25 days, and the median stated CME allowance is $4k. Flexible schedule language appears in 2.4% of live listings.
Production language changes the salary frame. Listings that mention work RVUs or production pay account for 8.9% of live physician listings, and their median advertised salary is $360k. That figure is an advertised salary benchmark for postings that mention production, not a survey of earned compensation.
Which employers have the most live physician openings?
Employer mix can change what a calculator estimate represents. The employers with the most live physician openings include Vohra Physicians with 860 openings, Radiology Partners with 486, Med America with 474, Southern California Permanente Medical Group with 465, and Team Health with 412.
Other large live listing counts include CVS Health with 395 openings, UnitedHealth Group with 348, and Adelphi Staffing with 309. For employer-level comparisons, see the Top Employers index.
Are advertised physician salaries moving up or down?
The monthly national median advertised salary was $305k in 2025-11 and about $317k in 2026-10. The change in median advertised salary versus the prior quarter is 3.8%.
For a doctor salary calculator, this means the current market input should be refreshed. The live median and the last 12 months of postings answer slightly different questions: live listings show what employers are advertising now, while the market pulse smooths postings over a broader period.
For the broader national trend view, see the Market Pulse.
How we measured this
Salary figures are advertised or posted salaries from employer listings, not survey income. Annual salary is measured from the midpoint of the stated range when a range is listed.
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (22,693 Physician listings, October 24, 2026); WeekdayDoc Market Pulse (12 months of advertised salaries, employer-deduplicated); BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); WeekdayDoc Top Employers work-life index.
State comparisons require enough salary data to compare and use states with at least 10 listings and at least 8 salary observations per state. Cost-of-living-adjusted figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Work-life scores are listing-based scores on a 0–10 scale.
Frequently asked questions
What salary should I enter in a doctor salary calculator?
For a national physician estimate, the live median advertised annual salary is about $302k.
Which state has the highest median advertised physician salary?
Montana has the highest state median at about $405k.
What is the median advertised salary for remote physician roles?
Remote physician listings have a median advertised salary of about $311k.
How often do physician listings state pay?
Among live physician listings, 38.6% state an annual salary.
What is the median sign-on bonus when it is stated?
The median stated sign-on bonus is $50k.
What salary appears in physician listings that mention production pay?
Listings that mention work RVUs or production pay have a median advertised salary of $360k.
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (22,693 Physician listings, October 24, 2026); WeekdayDoc Market Pulse (12 months of advertised salaries, employer-deduplicated); BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); WeekdayDoc Top Employers work-life index. Figures are advertised (posted) salaries and listing attributes, not survey income; percentiles and shares, not grades. Updated October 24, 2026.
