Pay, location & work-life context
Infectious Disease Salary Map by State (2026)
Median infectious disease pay across 10 states from real job listings — switch views to adjust for cost of living or overlay burnout scores. Medians blend permanent salaries with annualized locums/contract rates. National median: $275,000.
Highest median
Illinois
$312,500
Best real purchasing power
Tennessee
$326,548 adjusted
Best lifestyle score
Tennessee
7.3/10 avg burnout score
Compare state markets
Choose a metric, then select a state to see its figures and available breakdown.
Tile positions are approximate, not geographic boundaries. Selection adds an outline without changing the metric color. Work-life scores describe listings, not surveyed clinician burnout.
Infectious Disease pay by state
Sorted by median advertised pay. On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to compare all metrics.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Take-home, COL-adj. | Work-life score | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $312,500 | $312,631 | $297,156 | 5.6/10 | 9 |
| Tennessee | $300,000 | $326,548 | $326,548 | 7.3/10 | 6 |
| Massachusetts | $279,950 | $264,711 | $251,475 | 4.2/10 | 7 |
| Texas | $275,000 | $283,339 | $283,339 | 7.2/10 | 19 |
| New York | $275,000 | $254,816 | $237,361 | 5.5/10 | 32 |
| Minnesota | $275,000 | $278,845 | $251,379 | 6.6/10 | 10 |
| Virginia | $275,000 | $271,997 | $256,357 | 6.4/10 | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | $275,000 | $281,843 | $273,191 | 5.6/10 | 6 |
| Florida | $250,000 | $241,747 | $241,747 | 6.1/10 | 13 |
| Colorado | $235,000 | $228,040 | $218,006 | 6.5/10 | 5 |
Common questions
Which state pays infectious disease physicians the most?
Illinois currently has the highest median infectious disease salary at $312,500, based on 9 real job listings. Adjusted for cost of living, Tennessee offers the highest real purchasing power at $326,548.
Which state offers the best after-tax infectious disease pay?
Tennessee currently leads the take-home view at $326,548 — the state median after its state income tax (Tax Foundation state income tax rates (2025)), divided by the local cost-of-living index. No-income-tax states like Texas, Florida and Tennessee often outrank nominally higher-paying states here.
Why adjust infectious disease salaries for cost of living?
Prices differ across states. The adjusted view divides each state's pay benchmark by its regional price index (U.S. average = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). This is a state-level comparison, not a personal budget or a city-level cost estimate. Missing price data is shown as unavailable.
Which state has the best infectious disease lifestyle scores?
Tennessee currently has the highest average WeekdayDoc burnout score (7.3/10, higher is better) for infectious disease listings — a measure of call burden, weekend requirements, and schedule flexibility across postings.
More salary maps
See the full percentile breakdown on the Infectious Disease salary page.