Best Paying States for Primary Care Physicians

So, at least in the U.S., things aren’t looking good for primary care physicians.

We’re all facing the brunt of inflation, a looming recession, and the general mess of healthcare in the country right now. Between that and the 3% Medicare pay cut, it isn’t hard to see why doctors leave the profession.

Is it worth it to become a primary care physician right now? A lot of medical aspirants would say yes.

For them, helping their community and the job’s prestige is enough, though the six-figure minimum salary isn’t exactly a dealbreaker either. But primary care is one of the most burdened classes of physicians right now, and it’s hard to feel excited when you’re burnt out.

Still, if you’ve set your heart on having a community-based practice, there are ways to make it work. Today, let’s discuss the scope of primary care physicians, their salaries, and how and why they vary across the country.

• Primary Care Physicians and What That Entails
• What’s The Salary Looking Like For Primary Care Physicians
• What Problems Are Primary Care Physicians Facing Right Now

Primary Care Physicians: Broad Care At What Cost?

A primary care physician in the U.S. can earn anywhere from $200,000 to nearly $262,000 per annum. However, the American Medical Association lists the average salary at a cushy $260,000.

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Of course, that isn’t a consistent figure across the board. All states have different pay scales for their primary care workers, and the salary figures reflect the current economic environment.

However, the salary of a primary care physician also depends on personal factors such as certification, experience, and the subspecialty you choose.

Still, if you want to make big money in primary healthcare, that’s a hard sell, considering how thin the system has doctors spread.

Primary care is notorious for being underfunded and going through various struggles. While it requires less work to get a residency than, say, cardiology, it is still tricky because of the sheer amount of patient traffic.

The system is simply overtaxed to the point where it almost collapses.

Things have gotten slightly better. New legislation allows healthcare professionals such as physician assistants to practice medicine independently, reducing the burden on doctors to uphold primary care alone. Doctors also receive a salary bump nationwide.

Regardless, doctors everywhere are underpaid, and primary care has been hit the worst.

Best Paying States for Primary Care Physicians

Despite all the naysayers, so many medical graduates have made it their goal to become primary care physicians. Helping the community from the frontlines is noble, and something like salary shouldn’t hold you back.

Still, you could work in places where that salary isn’t an issue at all. Here are the top 5 states that offer the best packages for physicians wanting to work in primary care, like family medicine.

1. Alaska

Alaska’s top spot on this list is less surprising than you might think. The last frontier is known for its high cost of healthcare despite ranking 30th in terms of quality, so doctors get a nice chunk of change.

However, other amenities are also expensive in Alaska. This is due to the lack of competition and resources that aren’t easily accessible in the area, meaning doctors who end up moving there are compensated heavily for the higher cost of living, harsher living conditions, and more.

The highest salary reported for a general physician in Alaska can reach above the $300,000 mark, with an average around the $200,000 mark.

2. Iowa

Iowa is doing great things regarding its medical aid, making it the fourth-best state in terms of healthcare standards. It doesn’t hurt that they pay their primary care workers accordingly.

In Iowa, a family doctor can earn as much as $299,000 annually. This is due to the difficulty of accessing healthcare due to the state’s rural population and the need for transportation between healthcare facilities.

So, Iowa is willing to pay hefty fees to its primary care professionals to ensure everyone can get quality medical guidance wherever needed.

3. Delaware

Delaware has some of the best healthcare in the country, with its hospitals ranking second to Hawaii and Massachusetts. However, there is something left to be desired regarding accessible healthcare.

Delaware is experiencing a shortage of primary care physicians like the rest of the country.

However, the situation is worse here because of the first state’s rural landscape, which makes it less appealing for healthcare professionals to move in. That’s why the salaries are so high, with family doctors making as high as $298,000 per year.

4. Illinois

Illinois is all about the Affordable Care Act, which means everyone gets the same standard of medical aid when the need arises. But it’s also pretty good for compensating the doctors themselves.

Illinois takes primary care pretty seriously, with the Illinois Primary Healthcare Association, or IPHCA, ensuring all resources are available and accessible. Because of this and the general high wages for doctors there, family practitioners are also compensated nicely, with some making above $297,000 a year.

5. Alabama

You wouldn’t expect Alabama to be on this list, given its ranking in overall physician wages in the country. It also has some of the worst healthcare standards in the country.

And yet, the heart of Dixie is trying its best regarding primary healthcare in the South. Family medicine practitioners there are paid some of the highest wages in the country, clocking in at a nice $293,000.

This is due to the low number of healthcare professionals in the state, with 64 doctors per 100,000 Alabama residents, which means the doctors are stretched thin and need to be paid accordingly.

Why Primary Care is in Crisis

If so many states are willing to pay above-average wages for family medicine and other primary care providers, why is primary care in a mess right now? Well, to put it bluntly, it’s a lot.

Family physicians have many complaints, from the long hours and frequent calls to issues with the administrative centers in their area that make it harder to get their reimbursements in order.

Primary care physicians have a huge number of patients to deal with without the necessary resources, leading them to be burned out and done with the entire system.

They are overtaxed, overburdened, and underpaid. Most doctors in the U.S. aren’t satisfied with their careers right now, with emergency and primary care professionals at the top. This costs the country millions, leading to ineffective patient care in more vulnerable communities that most benefit from primary care.