How Much Salary Should You Earn as a Hospitalist

On average, hospitalists make $321,000 per year, but you’ll notice throughout this guide that this number fluctuates significantly.

Why does this happen? What are the contributing factors? And how can you make the most out of your job as a hospitalist? In this guide, we’ll answer it all.

What Is the Average Hospitalist Salary in the US?

According to Medscape’s 2024 Hospitalist Compensation Report, hospitalists make an average of $321,000 per year, which is $5,000 higher than the previous year’s $316,000. Note that this is the average among hospitalist PCPs and specialists.

Individually, PCPs make an average of $288,000 a year, while specialists make $341,000. Here is the median salary according to statistics from other sources:

• Glassdoor (2024): $289,000
• Salary.com (2024): $260,495
• Indeed (2024): $275,809
• Payscale (2024): $245,975
• ZipRecruiter (2024): $283,164

The sources don’t take into consideration the additional pay (like bonuses and incentives). The average they mention is also the PCP average, not the specialist. In other words, all sources seem to have a consistent range between $260,000 and $290,000.

Is there a Gender Pay Gap?

Yes, there’s a considerable gender pay gap. Medscape’s 2024 report found a 20% payment gap between female hospitalists and their male counterparts (full-time hospitalists).

The number may be big, but in 2023, male physicians made 20% more than female physicians. There’s still a big gender gap regarding hospitalist pay, but at least it’s getting smaller.

Factors That Affect a Hospitalist’s Salary

There is a range of salaries in this field, as numerous factors impact your pay level. Let’s take a closer look at the top factors.

Experience Level

You would make less during your residency than you would once you have completed it and become board-certified.

Then, an entry-level hospitalist makes 8% less than average, according to Payscale. At this experience level, hospitalist salaries have a total compensation with tips, bonuses, and overtime that comes to $243,000+.

After gaining years of experience, these professionals make about $250,000 to $269,000. In their late careers, they make 13% higher than the average, with a total compensation of $272,000+.

Where You Work

The state, region, and local area where you work play a role in your salary. Currently, here are the top 10 states where hospitalists earn the most:

State	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
New York	$336,364	$28,030	$6,468	$161.71
Pennsylvania	$308,004	$25,667	$5,923	$148.08
New Hampshire	$301,184	$25,098	$5,792	$144.80
New Jersey	$296,618	$24,718	$5,704	$142.60
Wyoming	$293,415	$24,451	$5,642	$141.07
Washington	$293,015	$24,417	$5,634	$140.87
Wisconsin	$290,916	$24,243	$5,594	$139.86
Massachusetts	$290,907	$24,242	$5,594	$139.86
Alaska	$290,145	$24,178	$5,579	$139.49
Oregon	$287,795	$23,982	$5,534	$138.36

On the other hand, here are the lowest-paying states:

State	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Idaho	$242,631	$20,219	$4,665	$116.65
Louisiana	$242,476	$20,206	$4,663	$116.58
Oklahoma	$242,123	$20,176	$4,656	$116.41
Texas	$240,558	$20,046	$4,626	$115.65
North Carolina	$239,549	$19,962	$4,606	$115.17
West Virginia	$237,876	$19,823	$4,574	$114.36
Kentucky	$230,675	$19,222	$4,436	$110.90
Michigan	$230,140	$19,178	$4,425	$110.64
Florida	$225,639	$18,803	$4,339	$108.48
Arkansas	$218,919	$18,243	$4,209	$105.25

Source: ZipRecruiter (2024)

It’s important to keep in mind that different areas within a state may pay varying amounts, which may be impacted by the population of the area.

Also, it’s always best to weigh the cost of living of an area with the pay ranges to get an idea of how far your salary would go.

It may also be possible to increase income by changing from one employer to another and by switching to a different type of workplace, such as a for-profit hospital from a non-profit one or a hospital system compared to a standalone hospital.

Related: How Moving Can Help Physicians Pay Off Student Loans

Qualifications

Skills and education may vary from one hospital physician to another, which can impact salary. Hospitalists may have different board certifications, fellowship training, amounts of schooling, and so on.

They may have also specialized in certain skills and areas over others. All of these factors play a role in salary considerations.

Subspecialties

The type of subspecialization you’re trained in impacts your overall salary within this field. Many hospitalists are specialized in internal medicine. Nonetheless, others may have subspecialties in pediatrics, neurology, or OBGYN.

Payscale shows some of the differences in salary depending on the specialization. Here are a few examples:

• Internal Medicine: $248,117
• Acute Care: $252,825
• Family Practice: $227,721
• Intensive Care Unit (ICU): $270,130
• Critical Care: $245,147

Total Compensation

Physicians tend to make money beyond their base salaries, and a hospitalist is no exception. This role can generally expect add-ons like benefits and bonuses that increase yearly pay.

Payscale shows that hospitalist physicians make bonuses ranging from $6,000 to $55,000, which can significantly increase their overall salary.

Salary.com shows that the base salary can go from $260,500 to $326,582 in total compensation. The increase reflects bonuses and the value of benefits, which include paid time off, a pension plan, social security, and other benefits.

Hospitalists who are in the midst of signing a new employment contract shouldn’t forgo asking for a signing bonus.

Read more about negotiating a signing bonus.

Ways to Increase Hospitalist Salary

In general, you can expect to make more money from hospitalist jobs as you complete your residency to become a full-fledged physician and gain years of experience. This often translates as increased patient volume, especially if you manage to start a private practice.

Nonetheless, you can take strategic steps beyond this passive and natural way of increasing your income. The above factors that impact hospitalist salary ranges show important ways to get more patients and increase income.

For instance, you could consider moving to a state that has a higher income level for this profession. New York, New Hampshire, and Montana are the top three highest-paying states for hospitalists, while others may also pay higher than the state you’re currently in.

Keep in mind the added cost of inflation in certain states because inflation alone could neutralize the increase or potentially wipe out the difference, so you were actually netting a lower amount due to the cost of living adjustment.

You may be able to increase your salary by gaining certain skills or a higher level of education. Subspecialization is an important way to increase income in this field, as hospitalists with intensive care unit subspecialization make the highest amounts.

That being said, it almost always begins by increasing the amount of hours worked. If you seek an edge over other hospitalists, you should start by taking more shifts so you can learn and earn more.

Additional Benefits for Hospitalists

It’s important to consider all types of benefits that may increase your salary and protect your income. This means making smart decisions regarding retirement plans and disability insurance.

Making a good choice between retirement plan options for physicians helps you set yourself up for the years when you’re done working. You can use some of your money well throughout your career by putting a portion of it into a retirement plan to grow the money within an account.

Smart financial planning allows you to use your hard-earned salary well during your sunset years.

It also makes sense to protect your salary with disability insurance. This is a smart move to protect your income and ensure your financial wellness and that of your family if anything happens to impact your career as a hospitalist.

After all of the time and effort you exert to get to where you are, your best plan is to protect it. Subscribe to our email newsletter or contact us directly for expert tips about finances, insurance, employment contracts, and more!