The specialties with the highest average base salaries

Invasive cardiologists and orthopedic surgeons have the highest base salaries offered to recruits, according to a Merritt Hawkins report. On average, invasive cardiologists earn $640,000 and orthopedic surgeons earn $626,000.

The report, 2020 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives, uses data from more than 3,000 engagements that physician staffing companies had with permanent physicians and advanced practitioners in 20 specialties from April 2019 to March 2020.

While invasive cardiologists reported the highest average base salary, that figure represented a 1.2% decrease from the previous year. Meanwhile, the average salary for orthopedic surgeons represented a 16.7% increase.

The next top earners were urologists with an average salary of $477,000 (a 2.8% increase) and gastroenterologist with $457,000 (a 7.7% decrease).

Source: Becker’s Hospital Review