Medical resident salaries up, satisfaction with pay down

The average salary for medical residents increased slightly this year, but at the same time satisfaction with those salaries is on the decline, according to a new report.

The average resident salary was $57,200 in 2017, slightly better than the 2016 average of $56,500 and the 2015 average of $55,400, according to a Medscape survey. The numbers were based on a survey of more than 1,500 residents in 25 medical specialties who are all enrolled in U.S. programs.

The highest paying specialties for residents were:

  • hematology ($69,000)
  • allergy and immunology/nephrology ($65,000)
  • cardiology ($62,000)

On the lowest end of the scale were residents in family medicine, with an average salary of $54,000.

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Satisfaction with those salaries is declining, the report said. In 2017, almost half of male residents (46%) and almost half of female residents (49%) said they were fairly compensated. But those numbers declined from 2016.

The report also includes data on the impact of salary on specialty choice, gender gaps in pay, medical residents' work hours and medical school debt.