It’s a common human experience for people to want to have children, yet it’s not always easy for everyone to conceive on their own. Many people have fertility problems that get in the way, or they want to delay their child-bearing and need assistance with the process. A reproductive endocrinologist is the type of doctor that helps with fertility. This physician works in a subspecialization of OBGYN doctors and makes a higher salary than a general OBGYN.
Reproductive endocrinologists can help make people’s dreams of conceiving come true. They use their knowledge and expertise to diagnose fertility concerns and provide appropriate treatments to assist with conception. They may use in vitro fertilization (IVF) or a variety of other treatment options to help people.
Physicians who work in this subspecialty make a good income. This article shares average salaries for this role and provides specific information on factors that impact salary. We also share ways to protect and maximize your physician income.
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Average Reproductive Endocrinology Physician Salary
A reproductive endocrinologist makes a good salary, with the nationwide median at $461,997, according to the 2021 Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Compensation & Production Report. When we discuss median salary, we’re looking at the amount where 50 percent of people in this role make less and the other 50 percent make more. The salary for this type of doctor ranges from $225,002 to $733,793.
It’s worth looking at a variety of sources when you consider salary expectations for a certain occupation. Different sources use various methods for collecting data, so the salary range can vary. By looking at many sources and some of the factors included in their salary information, you can gain a clearer idea of the field you’re considering.
Toward that end, here is the average salary of reproductive endocrinologists from numerous sources:
- Salary.com: $267,497
- ZipRecruiter: $248,212
- Comparably: $241,125
- Glassdoor: $124,331
- Payscale: $246,000
Discrepancies from site to site happen for a number of reasons. The sites often use different types of data, so it’s not a fair comparison. Some include salaries people share on their sites while others consider broader physician data. Some may include bonuses while others only show base salary. Also, it’s helpful to break down salary differences by a range of factors, which is covered in the next section.
Read this: Why is a Contract Review a Must?
Factors That Affect Salary
Not every reproductive endocrinologist has the same salary. Why is that? Let’s review many of the reasons for pay discrepancies within the same field.
Gender Discrepancies
Do women make less than men for this occupation? A cross-sectional web-based survey published in 2019 found a 27 percent income gap between male and female reproductive endocrinologists and infertility subspecialists in the U.S. When the study adjusted for factors like type of practice and years of experience, it found the gap to be 21 percent.
Demand
There is a high demand for fertility services, including reproductive endocrinology. There are many reasons for this increased demand, including people in developed countries waiting to have children, lower fertility levels, higher age of mothers and LGBTQ couples desiring children. These types of factors lead to assistance through fertility services, which creates a demand for reproductive endocrinologists.
Location
It’s common for salaries to differ by the area where you live and work. MGMA reports a range between regions $536,465, to $417,080.
The demographics of your chosen area can also make a difference. Those working in higher populated areas make a median of $510,676 for this subspecialty, while those in metro areas with a lower population earn $406,971.
Aside from region and population of an area, the state can also make a difference regarding salary. ZipRecruiter explains that five states have average salaries for reproductive endocrinology physicians that are above the national average. These include:
- Massachusetts: $291,296
- Washington: $267,107
- Maryland: $257,879
- New York: $257,357
- Virginia: $252,567
Of course, it’s important to consider that some parts of a state may pay better than others, such as urban compared to rural areas. Also, you always need to factor in the cost of living for a city, state or region in comparison to the salary to see how far your salary would stretch in that area. For instance, Comparably notes that San Francisco has the highest paid reproductive endocrinologists. However, this city also has the highest cost of living in the nation.
Practice Owner
The reproductive endocrinologist can earn more or less depending on the type of practice in which they are employed. Medians across practice types range from #323,731 up to $471,997.
Total Compensation
Salary.com shows a base salary of $267,497 for this professional, while showing how the total compensation can increase to $365,652. The difference from base to total is significant. The increase comes from the value of benefits and bonuses. This site’s data shows that the median bonus is $9,876, and the Comparably website says that all reproductive endocrinologists reported getting a yearly bonus. The value of benefits, including paid time off, comes to $88,279. These are aspects of compensation to consider when you negotiate your salary.
Years of Experience
People in any occupation tend to increase their pay as they gain years of experience in their field. This is the same for reproductive endocrinologists, who can expect to make less when starting out and then increase their income after working for a few years and then as they reach a more experienced level within their specialty. You may also be able to increase pay by adding additional education, skills and qualifications.
Specialization
Let’s take a look at average salary for this subspecialty compared to the primary physician specialty of OBGYN. An OBGYN makes a median salary of $354,885, so this subspecialty makes more with its median of $461,997. Both of these data points come from MGMA data for a direct comparison. By subspecializing in reproductive endocrinology, you have the opportunity to make as much as $100,000 more per year than the primary specialty, which is significant.
ZipRecruiter shows that this specialized endocrinologist also makes more than various other types of endocrinologists. It pays better than general endocrinologists, remote endocrinologists and pediatric endocrinologists.
Be Purposeful: Advancing Toward Your Career Goals
Average Loan Debt for Reproductive Endocrinologists
These subspecialists generally finish medical school with a comparable amount of debt to other types of physicians. That’s because you rack up the debt during a bachelor’s degree and medical school, while you begin to gain compensation during the medical specialization processes of residencies and fellowships.
How much debt can you expect? Student Loan Planner says the average amount of medical school loan debt is $200,000. You can add that to debt incurred to obtain a bachelor’s degree, and the debt for medical school varies by factors like the university you attended.
Another consideration related to school debt is the interest rate associated with repaying it. You’ll end up owing far more than you borrowed when you factor in this interest rate over the course of the repayment plan. One important way to save money and make the most of your physician salary is to reduce the interest rate on your student loans. We offer discount rates designed to help you reach this goal.
Read this: How Moving Can Help Physicians Pay Off Student Loans
How to Increase Your Physician Salary
Once you become a reproductive endocrinology physician, you can find ways to increase your salary from the starting point. An important way to do so is to negotiate a bonus when you’re determining your starting salary.
Another way to make more within this role is to relocate. You could compare salaries for different cities, parts of the country and types of employers compared to where you are now. For instance, if you currently work in the Eastern United States, relocating to the Midwest may gain you an increased salary. You also have the potential to grow by switching to a hospital from a physician-owned practice.
Further, see if you can find ways to devote more time to patient hours that pay well. If you’re currently spending a lot of time on administrative and other tasks, consider hiring an assistant like a PA or NP to handle these tasks instead. Another option is to work locum tenens to fill in for other doctors as needed. You could also think about participating in research and development in your field.
How to Manage Your Finances
When you’re working as a physician, you’ll benefit from managing your income wisely. This way, no matter how much money you make in your role, you’ll make the most of it.
Comparably explains that people working as this type of doctor pay an average federal tax of 35 percent of their salary. To maximize your salary, take advantage of proper tax planning with a professional. You may want to consider working as an independent contractor with a 1099 instead of as an employee with a W2 so you can utilize write-offs. Nonetheless, you would need to see if this works for your situation.
Another way to manage your money is by building retirement savings from your physician salary. Depending on your work situation, you could utilize employer-offered or non-employer retirement plans. Employers, such as a hospital system, tend to offer retirement plan types like 401(k) plans, SIMPLE IRA plans, profit-sharing plans or employee stock ownership plans. Another option is to choose a non-employer plan such as an IRA, whether it’s a traditional IRA or Roth IRA.
How to Negotiate Salary
Negotiating your salary is one of the most important things you can do to make the most money possible in your career. Not only does it help you start out at a higher rate if you are successful at your negotiations, but it also helps you make more throughout your career.
Salary negotiations for a reproductive endocrinologist include the base salary as well as benefits and bonuses. These factors can include aspects like paid time off, profit-sharing, a sign-on bonus and production bonuses. It’s also possible to negotiate things like your role, which could help you spend more time on patients and less time on administrative work, allowing you to maximize your income.
Contract reviews should happen at the start of your career when you are seeking your first professional job, as well as any time you are aiming to switch employers. You should also renegotiate when any changes occur, such as adjustments to your role or added qualifications. For salary negotiations, it’s essential to understand the field and salary expectations within it. For example, you would want to negotiate based on your level of experience and qualifications, which requires research to fully understand.
Related: Physician Contracts: Make Sure You’re Earning Your Fair Share
You shouldn’t necessarily negotiate your salary on your own. Just as you would hire a tax professional to advise you on tax planning and a financial expert to help with a retirement plan, it makes sense to lean on a professional for salary negotiations. This is another financial area where you can benefit from the expertise of someone who knows the best ways to review and negotiate a physician contract. Reach out to us for an expert to review your contract and help you make the best income for your role.
Protect Your Salary
Another way to ensure your physician salary is by having disability insurance. In addition to malpractice insurance, this type of insurance provides a safety net in case anything should go wrong. Disability insurance is there in case an event makes it so you can no longer properly carry out your physician role. While your employer may have a group policy, individual policies tend to be better. They are separate from employment, so they will cover you if you get hours in at different places. Plus, you are individually underwritten and gain better benefits over group plans.
For even more info, read about The Top Reasons Doctors Need Disability Benefits.
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