MANAGED CARE September 2009. ©MediMedia USA
Family and general practitioners would do well to move their practices to Wisconsin, Arkansas, West Virginia, or Kansas.
That’s because FPs and GPs in these five states get paid the most for this profession — especially when the cost of living is factored in. Cost of living applies to the average cost of basic necessities of life (such as food, shelter, and clothing).
The national mean hourly and mean annual wage for family and general practitioners is $77.64 and $161,490, respectively, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In contrast, family and general practitioners in Wisconsin report an hourly mean wage of $92.39. In Arkansas, Kansas, and West Virginia, hourly mean wage is reported as $90.81, $86.87, and $86.24, respectively.
In general, the most expensive geographic areas to call home are New England and the West Coast, including Alaska and Hawaii. Southern and Midwestern states continue to have a low cost of living and high median salary.
Those practicing in Vermont, California, New York and Alaska might want to reconsider. Those are the worst paying and most expensive states to live in.
Annual mean wages for FPs/GPs and cost of living by state
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor; ACCRA Cost of Living Index, Council for Community and Economic Research; American Medical Group Association