Average Salary

• In the United States, the average annual salary for a family physician or general practitioner is $168,550. Internists, or physicians who specialize in non-surgical treatment of the internal organs, may also be found on the staff of medical institutions, earning a mean annual wage of $183,990, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  
  

Industry

• Most physicians can be found in private practice or working with other doctors in an office, placing them in the BLS category of offices of physicians. Family doctors and general practitioners on staff in these offices earn a mean annual wage of $174,280, while doctors of internal medicine earn an average salary of $190,940. Physicians are also employed on the staffs of general medical and surgical hospitals, with family physicians earning an average salary of $157,470 and internists earning $161,660. Internists at outpatient care centers earn an average of $183,350, while family physicians on staff at those centers earn $174,590 annually.
  
  

Location

• For all physicians, salaries will vary depending on the demand and cost of living in the area. The Bureau of Labor Statistics cites Arkansas as the highest-paying state for family and general practitioners at an annual mean wage of $206,030, followed by Wisconsin at $203,040. Internal physicians earn the highest wages in Utah, which offers a mean annual salary of $234,720, followed by Nebraska at $223,910.
  
  

Advancement

• Staff physicians have several opportunities for advancing in their field, thereby bringing in a higher salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that some advance by studying or training in special fields, or by simply gaining experience and building a trusted reputation among colleagues and patients. Others may eventually start their own practice, hiring their own staff of physicians and nurses.