The Highest Paid Doctors in the USA: Where Obstetricians and Gynecologists Make the Best Salaries

© Copyright 2011 by Aurelio Locsin.

Both obstetricians and gynecologists, often abbreviated to OB/GYNs, focus on women’s health issues. Obstetricians specialize in pregnancy and birth, while gynecologists handle women’s health care such as hormonal disorders and breast cancer. Most OB/GYNs have expertise in both specialties. According to the U.S. Department Labor, the country’s 19,940 OB/GYNs make a mean $101.13 per hour or $210,340 per year. This is over four times what the average U.S. worker makes, which is $21.35 per hour or $44,410 per year.

The workplaces with the highest employment for obstetricians and gynecologists are as follows:

• Almost 78 percent work for themselves in their own offices, where they earn mean wages of $103.73 per hour or $215,750 per year.
• Over 13 percent work in general medical and surgical hospitals, where mean earnings run $95.25 per hour or $198,120 per year.
• The third biggest employers are outpatient care centers, where 4 percent make a mean $101.83 per hour or $211,800 per year.

Many of the biggest employers are also the highest paying ones:

• OB/GYNs earn their highest salaries working for themselves.
• Outpatient care centers rank second for pay.
• In third place are specialty hospitals, not including psychiatric and substance abuse facilities. Pay here runs a mean $97.41 per hour or $202,610 per year.

The most populated states have the best employment opportunities for OB/GYNs:

• The most populous state of California has 3,160 OB/GYNs earning a mean $102.89 per year or $214,020 per year.
• Second for both population and employment is Texas, where 2,030 doctors receive a mean $99.78 per hour or $207,540 per year.
• In third place for population and jobs is New York, where 1,160 medical professionals get a mean $90.95 per hour or $189,170 per year.

The states with the highest paying employers are South Dakota, Iowa and Idaho. Unfortunately, the Labor Department does not specify the average wages for these areas.

The cities with the most jobs also follow population trends, though not in the same order:

• The most populated city in the country, New York City, contains 790 OB/GYNs earning a mean $94.08 per hour or $195,680 per year.
• The fourth most populated city, Houston, Texas, ranks second for jobs with 720 doctors earning a mean $92.88 per hour or $193,190 per year.
• The second most populated city, Los Angeles, ranks third for jobs with 640 obstetricians and gynecologists making a mean $107.65 per hour or $223,910 per year.

As for the cities with the highest paying employers, they are Barnstable Town, Massachusetts; Reading, Pennsylvania and Orlando, Florida. As with states, the Labor Department does not specify the wages for these cities.