PhysEmp Physician Salary Report
This analysis is part of the PhysEmp Physician Salary Report series, which examines physician compensation trends using physician job listings posted on PhysEmp, updated every month.
Physician Job Market Analysis Report: Emergency Medicine
OVERVIEW
The Emergency Medicine physician job market is robust, with a total of 734 active national listings spanning a wide array of states across the country. States with active postings include Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, California, Oregon, North Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, Washington D.C., Nevada, Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Washington, Idaho, Rhode Island, Michigan, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Vermont, Montana, Wyoming, and Mississippi. Of the 734 total listings, 48 included salary data, revealing a full national salary range spanning from a low of $230,000 annually to a high of $728,000 annually. The national average salary range for Emergency Medicine physicians currently sits between $461,192 and $728,000, reflecting the significant earning potential available in this specialty across the country.
HIGHEST-PAYING STATES
Several states stand out as top earners for Emergency Medicine physicians. Iowa leads with an average salary range of $613,600 on both the low and high end, suggesting a concentrated and well-compensated market. California follows closely, with an average range of $565,800 to $619,880, reflecting the premium placed on emergency physicians in that high-cost state. Washington state offers an average range of $572,000 to $596,267, making it one of the most consistently high-paying markets in the country. Missouri also performs strongly, with an average range of $530,400 to $542,533, and New York posts averages of $529,200 to $532,667. Texas and Oklahoma each show average low salaries of $520,000, with Texas reaching as high as $624,000 and Oklahoma climbing to $603,200 at the top end.
LOWEST-PAYING STATES
At the lower end of the compensation spectrum, Arkansas stands out with an average salary of $230,000, which falls more than $230,000 below the national average low of $461,192. Pennsylvania also underperforms relative to national norms, with an average range of $250,000 to $260,000. Kansas posts averages of $330,000 to $355,000, and Massachusetts ranges from $330,000 to $348,000, both sitting notably below the national average. Michigan reports a flat average of $350,000, and Vermont comes in at $384,800, still trailing the national benchmark by a meaningful margin.
NEAR-AVERAGE STATES
Some states fall relatively close to the national average salary range and can be considered reliable benchmark markets for Emergency Medicine compensation. Hawaii, with its single listing averaging $395,200 to $436,800, sits just below the national average low. South Carolina averages $396,000 on both ends of its range, placing it in a similar position. Minnesota offers an average range of $410,000 to $450,000, and Ohio comes in at $418,667 to $449,200, both representing near-average compensation that may appeal to physicians seeking predictable, middle-of-the-road earnings.
JOB VOLUME LEADERS
Texas leads all states in job volume with 55 listings, followed closely by Florida with 52 listings and Tennessee with 44 listings. Ohio contributes 38 listings, South Carolina 34, and Indiana 32. Notably, high volume does not consistently correlate with higher pay. Florida, Tennessee, Indiana, and South Carolina all had no salary data available in their listings, making compensation comparisons difficult. Texas, despite its high volume, shows strong pay potential with an average range of $520,000 to $624,000, suggesting that volume and competitive compensation can coexist in larger markets.
NOTABLE LISTINGS
The highest salary found nationally was $728,000, and the lowest was $230,000, illustrating the dramatic range within the Emergency Medicine market. On the hourly side, the national listing summary highlights a position in Honolulu, Hawaii offering $190 per hour as the lowest hourly rate, while a role in Hamilton, New York tops the hourly scale at $350 per hour. On the annual side, a position in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was listed at $250,000, representing one of the lowest annual figures, while a role in Urbana, Illinois came in at $534,520 annually, reflecting the strength of the Illinois market.
MARKET TAKEAWAY
Emergency Medicine physicians seeking the strongest balance of pay and opportunity should give serious consideration to states like California, Washington, Iowa, Texas, and Missouri, where compensation is well above the national average and job listings are plentiful. High-volume states such as Texas and Ohio offer both availability and competitive pay, making them particularly attractive for physicians who want options without sacrificing earnings. Physicians willing to be flexible on geography will find that this specialty offers exceptional earning potential nationwide, with the right markets delivering salaries well into the $500,000 to $600,000 range.
Physicians interested in exploring the market can search all Emergency Medicine physician jobs on PhysEmp
