how much money physicians make
The data in the report come from more than 19,500 doctors in 26 specialties who responded to Medscape's annual survey with information on their compensation for 2014. The average primary care doctor made $195,000; the average specialist made $284,000.But those averages hide quite a bit of variability based on different factors. The infographic below shows the average earnings for each surveyed specialty. Orthopedists, of whom just 9% are women, were the highest earners:verage physician income ranges from $253,000 in the Northeast to $281,000 in the Northwest. Certain regions of the country may have to pay more to attract doctors, so physician salaries often reflect the level of competition more than the cost of living.