Brief summary of MGMA’s 2011 physician compensation survey

In a statement released by the Medical Group Management Association, primary care and specialty-care physicians saw varied movement in compensation levels from 2009 to 2010, according to the MGMA's new Physician Compensation and Production Survey: 2011 Report Based on 2010 Data (www.mgma.com for more information).

Total median compensation increased for doctors in:Internal medicine ­– from $197,080, to $205,379 (a 4.21 percent increase); Cardiology – from $481,878 to $500,993 (a 3.97 percent increase); and Emergency medicine – from $262,475 to $277,297 (a 5.65 percent increase).

Compensation remained flat or declined for physicians in:Urology – from $390,678 to $372,455 (-4.6 percent); Ophthalmology – from $338,208 to $330,784 (-2.20 percent); Radiology – from $478,824 to $471,253 (-1.58 percent); and OB/GYN – from 2,645 to 1,190 (-.51 percent).

Regional compensation differencesRegional data included in this year's report show differences in compensation based on location. In the Southern region of the United States, primary care and specialty-care physicians reported the highest earnings at $216,170 and $404,000, respectively. Physicians in the Eastern regions reported the lowest median compensation, $194,409 and $305,575.