New Doximity Study Shows Modest Physician Pay Growth Amid Deeper Workforce Strain, Reimbursement Pressures

July 31, 2025 at 05:00 AM EDT

Physician pay up 3.7%, but challenges remain: 26% gender wage gap, widespread reimbursement concerns, and deepening financial strain on pediatric care

Doximity, Inc. (NYSE: DOCS), the leading digital platform for U.S. medical professionals, today released its 2025 Physician Compensation Report. The findings highlight a healthcare workforce under pressure, with modest compensation growth of 3.7%, a persistent gender pay gap of 26%, and growing concern from pediatric physicians about declining reimbursement.

“This year’s study reflects a profession that’s been under strain for years,” said Amit Phull, MD, chief clinical experience officer at Doximity. “Pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists, in particular, are facing acute challenges. They’re caring for some of the most vulnerable and complex patients in medicine, yet persistently lower pay and reimbursement threaten both workforce stability and patient access to care.”

With over 80% of U.S. physicians as members, Doximity maintains one of the largest physician compensation data sets in the U.S. This year's compensation data draw from approximately 230,000 survey responses over six years, including more than 37,000 U.S. physician responses in 2024. The study also incorporates thousands of physician responses to additional surveys and polls fielded throughout 2024 and 2025.

Report Highlights

Gender and Specialty Pay Gaps

In 2024, average physician compensation rose 5.7% for men and 1.7% for women. The gender pay gap returned to 26%, up from 23% in 2023 and matching the gap reported in 2022. Women physicians earned less than men in all specialties studied, even after controlling for specialty, location, and years of experience.
Pediatric subspecialists earned significantly less than their adult-medicine counterparts despite comparable training and clinical demands. The largest pay gaps were seen in hematology and oncology, with a 93% pay gap.
Primary care physicians also earned considerably less than their specialist colleagues. In 2024, surgical specialists earned 87% more than primary care physicians, down from 100% in 2022.

Pediatric Care Under Pressure

In a June 2025 survey of over 1,200 U.S. pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists:

Over 90% reported they are concerned that current reimbursement levels are interfering with early intervention and prevention efforts in pediatric care.
Half reported that current reimbursement limits their ability to provide care for their pediatric patients; another 37% are worried it could limit care in the future.
The majority (87%) do not believe reimbursement levels adequately align with the needs and complexity of today’s pediatric population.

Systemwide Strain and Uncertainty

In a June 2025 survey of over 1,100 U.S. physicians across multiple specialties:

Nearly 60% reported they are concerned that reimbursement pressures will affect their ability to care for Medicare or Medicaid patients in the next 12 months.
17% said they or their organization have already reduced the number of Medicare or Medicaid patients they see in the past 12 months; another 13% said they are likely to.
81% agreed that reimbursement policy has played a significant role in the decline of independent practices in their field. Just 7% of physicians disagreed.

In separate Doximity polls of over 2,000 U.S. physicians (May and June 2025):

85% reported being overworked, with more than two-thirds looking for an employment change or considering early retirement.
77% reported they would be willing to accept, or have already accepted, lower compensation for greater autonomy or work-life balance, up from 75% in 2024 and 71% in 2023.

Read Doximity’s 2025 Physician Compensation Report.

About Doximity

Founded in 2010, Doximity is the leading digital platform for U.S. medical professionals. The company's network members include more than 80% of U.S. physicians across all specialties and practice areas. Doximity provides its verified clinical membership with digital tools built for medicine, enabling them to collaborate with colleagues, stay up to date with the latest medical news and research, manage their careers and on-call schedules, streamline documentation and administrative paperwork, and conduct virtual patient visits. Doximity's mission is to help doctors be more productive so they can provide better care for their patients.