Sometimes called urogynos, a urogynecologist is a highly specialized professional that can diagnose and treat women that have a range of conditions, including pelvic floor disorders. While many OB/GYNs have some experience and insight into these topics, a urogyno has a much higher level of skill, including in areas of prolapse and urinary incontinence. A urogynecologist’s salary should match their level of experience and those skills.
Shouldn’t your work as a urogynecologist pay you based on your intense experience and highly specialized skills? Even though those working in this position typically have a high level of skill and are paid well, that’s not always the case. There are some situations where a professional may not be paid nearly as much.
In this article, the focus is on how to ensure urogynecologists salaries match the expertise and abilities of these specialized providers.
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Average Urogynecologist Salary
There are various sources that provide information on the average urogynecologist salary. It is worth looking at several of these to determine which are the most likely accurate for your needs. Here is a look at some of the urogynecologist salary information you need.
According to Salary.com, the average urogynecologist salary was $186,645 per year as of July of 2022. That includes a range from $161,565 to $217,397.
MGMA reports the median salary for a urogynecologist was $375,704, with a range showing $207,972 to $606,136 annually.
Related: Physicians Thrive Annual Compensation Report
Factors That Can Affect Salary
A variety of factors impact the demand for urogynecology and, therefore, their salary. This could include things like where they work in the country and the type of hospital systems they work through or if they have a private, high-end practice.
Location
Location could be a big factor in some areas. You may want to consider both the amount paid in an area as well as the cost of living for that reason. There could be a higher demand for urogynecologists, such as in larger cities where spending on specialized medical care is higher.
Shortage and Demand
The American Urogynecology Society indicates that, through MGMA, as women age, there will be a higher demand for those working in this field. They state that, in 2019, about 38.1 million women suffered from pelvic floor disorders, but by 2050, that number will increase to 43.8 million.
They also note that the number of women with urinary incontinence will grow by 55% and fecal incontinence by 59%, all indicating that the number of medical providers in this area is likely to grow in demand as well. The amount of this increase is dependent on location and the amount of available healthcare for women within the region.
OBGYN Salary
A urogynecologist is a subspecialist under the broader area of OBGYN. The median salary for a person working as an OBGYN was $354,885 across the U.S., according to Medical Group Management Association.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that a person working as an obstetrician and gynecologist had a mean annual wage of $296,210, with 21,570 people working in this field.
Another resource, PayScale, reports that the average base salary nationwide for an OB/GYN was $235,792, with a base salary range of $147,000 to $342,000 per year or total pay that ranges from $83,000 to $346,000.
Urogynecologist and Their Student Loan Debt
Many working in this field have significant student loan debt after spending years in medical school obtaining the necessary skills to do this work. While there’s little information about the specific debt amount for those who are working in this field, we can use the OBGYN data to get a better insight into the amount of debt a student has.
Student Loan Planner offers a key breakdown of this debt, reporting that those who complete medical school have $150,000 or more in student loan debt, with some having over $200,000 in debt.
Key to remember is that this student loan debt shouldn’t hold you back. If you are facing debt that seems insurmountable right now, we highly encourage you to seek out debt relief programs that may help you. For some, student loan forgiveness may be an option. For others, refinancing that debt could help.
Physician’s Thrive can offer some guidance here. We have special discount rates for refinancing student loans for medical providers. We highly encourage you to take a closer look to see if we can help you make your debt more manageable. Don’t feel that you have to be saddled with significant debt long term.
Read this: How Moving Can Help Pay Off Student Loans
How to Increase Your Salary as a Urogynecologist
As a urogynecologist, there may be steps you can take now to get ahead and start earning more than you are now. To do that, you’ll want to consider one or more paths that fit your goals. Here are some suggestions that could help you.
Start Your Own Practice
Urogynecologists may be in demand in some areas, especially in larger cities where medical care is sought after. Starting your own practice is an opportunity to expand at your own pace and potentially increase your salary as you do. A private practice allows you more control over your schedule, too.
Consider Real Estate
If you are in a private practice now, it may be beneficial to purchase the medical building you are operating in and then rent out other office space to various other, sometimes supportive medical providers. This helps alleviate some of the financial burden you’re paying own to rent space while also helping to potentially increase rental income as well.
Relocate
If your area doesn’t have a significant number of women seeking these services or there are a number of other providers in your area, consider relocating to a larger hospital system. Moving to an area with more specialized providers, such as some of the country’s largest hospitals where there is a limited number of specialized providers, could help increase your demand, practice size, and overall salary. Don’t forget to negotiate for a relocation reimbursement to keep even more money in your pocket.
Participate in Research and Development
If you are already in an area where there is a significant amount of demand, you may be able to contribute to research and development programs. This is an area of medicine that is likely to see more growth as a larger group of women get older in the Baby Boomer generation. That could mean that the data you have could help with the research and development of procedures and medical care to support new solutions. Look to universities and other research hospitals for opportunities in this area.
Provide Specialized Services at a Hospital
Though this field does not always lend itself to emergency medical care, there are often people who need help with these medical conditions who are in a hospital setting. Establish a relationship within a local hospital, especially larger locations with full urology departments, to provide services to patients when they need them.
How to Build a Retirement from Annual Urogynecologist Salary
As you work to increase your urogynecologist salary, you may also need to focus on ways to make the best use of that income so that it can provide you with financial support over the long term. There are a range of retirement planning tools available to you, including tax-advantaged accounts that may allow you to take advantage of tax breaks if used properly.
Tax-advanced retirement accounts from employers are one of the most commonly sought after options. Some common options include traditional employer-sponsored plans such as a 401(k) or Roth 401(k) plan. Some of these plans offer tax deductions each year, while others allow you to earn money on the funds within the account that aren’t taxed when you take distributions when you’re older.
If you don’t have access to an employer-sponsored plan, other options exist, including IRA and Roth IRA accounts. You can set up these on your own through an advisory service. Once you are ready to retire, you can then access those funds for your needs.
If you work for a non-profit organization, you may be able to check out 403b plans. They are much like a 401(k), with the difference being that they are designed for non-profit organizations.
You may be able to have more than one type of retirement account. If you want to diversify a bit or you’ve been maxed out of contributions through your employer plan, you can then start looking at secondary options like IRAs.
Why Is Malpractice Insurance Important
As a urogynecologist, having malpractice insurance in place is critical to not just protecting your urogynecologist salary but also to ensure that your practice does not suffer financially if there is a significant event that occurs. Accidents can happen during procedures or exams. There is the risk of a procedure leading to complications that your practice could be held liable for. Malpractice insurance helps to minimize the financial risk you are facing.
If you have malpractice insurance, you’ll also want to be sure you have enough of it and the right type. How much coverage you need depends on the types of claims you’ve had over the course of your practice. The claims of others in your practice can also affect this. Consider the average of what others within your practice have paid out in the last few years.
You should also know as much as you can about your policy. For example, is it an occurrence malpractice insurance policy? If so, that means the insurance applies to incidents that have occurred within the policy year, no matter who the insurance carrier is that you had at the time. Claims-made policies provide coverage when the policy is in effect when the incident occurred and when the claim is made. If your policy is claims-made, you may also need tail insurance. This is a type of endorsement that allows you to file a claim when needed, even if your policy was canceled or expired without renewal, which can be important for those who have a claims-made policy.
Related reading: “Claims-made” vs. “Occurrence-based” Malpractice Insurance coverage
How and Why to Negotiate Your Urogynecologist Salary
You do highly specialized work. You have the insight, skills, and knowledge that is not possessed by just any OBGYN. That’s why it is important to take a step back and realize you should be negotiating your urogynecologist salary instead of settling for what’s offered to you. If you don’t do this, you could be in a contract that does not provide for your best needs. You could be limiting your financial growth. Don’t believe the myth that contracts can’t be negotiated.
Consider the negotiation tactics available to you. For example, do you have specialized certifications or added training in this field? Perhaps your experience includes the latest procedures and developments in the field. If you are moving towards a research center, showcase your experience and the size of your practice. You can use these as reasons to increase what you should receive as a urogynecologist salary.
There’s no doubt this is a difficult subject. Many professionals just want to focus on taking care of their patients. One way to reduce those risks is to hire a professional. They can provide you with complete and expert assistance in reviewing, structuring, and negotiating your contract. They can provide you with insight into how well you are positioned with your salary now and discuss ways to improve it. You can reach out to Physicians Thrive for more support. Let us provide you with a comprehensive urogynecologist salary review.
Read more: Can You Negotiate Physician Contracts?
Protect Your Salary with Disability Insurance
There is no way to know what could happen to you in the future. This means protecting your urogynecologist salary is critical in all ways possible “just in case.” One way to do this is with disability insurance. It can help to provide you with financial support if you are unable to work.
Some medical providers have coverage under an employer’s group policy. That’s one of the biggest risks because it can provide very limited and short-term coverage – and that’s it. If that’s all the coverage you have, now is the time to review your coverage.
Group and individual disability insurance are two very different products. With individual disability insurance policies, you can choose a policy that pays out for the situations you’re most worried about as well as how much you’ll receive. You can select a policy that’s better suited to your income as well as your plans for the future. A group policy also remains in place only as long as you are within that employer. Individual policies stick with you as long as you keep them in place.
Let us help you throughout this process. We can help you determine how much you need and which is the best insurance company for your unique situation. Reach out to us with questions about your salary and disability needs.
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