Physician Compensation Up for 3 in 4 Specialties

In 2009, 76% of all specialties saw an increase in compensation, with the overall weighted average increase of approximately 3.4%. The primary care specialties' (excluding hospitalists) average compensation increase was about 3.8%, according to the American Medical Group Association's (AMGA) 2010 Medical Group Compensation and Financial Survey.

Other medical specialties had on average a 2.4% increase, and surgical specialties had a 3.8% average increase.

Between 2008 and 2009, the specialties reporting the largest increases in compensation were pulmonary disease (10.37%), dermatology (7%), urology (6.36%), family medicine (5.67%), hypertension and nephrology (5.54%), and cardiac and thoracic surgery (5.12%).

"The modest increases seen this year reflect the negative impact of declining reimbursements, competition for specialists, the cost of new technology, and other factors on practice revenues in most parts of the country," says AMGA President and CEO Donald Fisher, PhD.