Searching for the truth about peds subspecialty salaries? (especially NICU, PICU, & PEM)

[Kirby Smart]

Hi all! MS3 here who has been set on pediatrics since choosing to pursue medicine. I've always been most interested in pursuing one of the higher-acuity peds subspecialties such as NICU, PICU, PEM, etc. I've recently been curious about how much these physicians are truly making, not because I plan for income to be a deciding factor (otherwise I wouldn't be going peds lol) but more because I'm just curious what my true earnings could be compared to if I choose to go gen peds or another subspecialty.

I'm curious if anyone has anecdotal and/or more comprehensive info as to the average salaries of NICU, PICU, and PEM physicians (also feel free to throw out info on other peds sub salaries)? My google searches always yield results that will vary by more nearly 100% between sites, so I'm curious to know the truth from people who are actually on the ground. Thanks!

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[mvenus929]

There is a huge variation in salaries even in the same specialty. I interviewed for one position where I'd be making I think 280K after 5 years, compared to probably in the ballpark of 175K after 5 years. But one of the major differences in how much I'd be working--doing 9 half days of clinic compared to 6.

So I'm not surprised your google searches are yielding variable results.

[I'm Peds Endo--you don't do my specialty unless you love it because almost universally you'd make more in gen peds].

 

[Oso]

I interviewed for one position where I'd be making I think 280K after 5 years, compared to probably in the ballpark of 175K after 5 years. But one of the major differences in how much I'd be working--doing 9 half days of clinic compared to 6.

Oh wow 280k after 5 years? I mean that’s definitely much more than gen Peds after 5 years…

OP - there’s a ton of variability, though I don’t know from first hand experience yet. I’m in neonatology and sounds like there’s a lot of variability depending on academic vs private, NICU level, location, schedule, etc

 

[SurfingDoctor]

The variability is because there is… variability. Pay structures are very different between institutions… usually on the magnitude of tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes up to 100K. Plus those salaries may or may not include incentive pay, or bonuses, or stipends. Plus you can’t tell from any data (except by asking each institution) RVU generation per member and if that is even accurate.

So the salary ranges you find on line are accurate in that they are skewed and variability because reported incomes is not very consistent across places.

 

[Kirby Smart]

The variability is because there is… variability. Pay structures are very different between institutions… usually on the magnitude of tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes up to 100K. Plus those salaries may or may not include incentive pay, or bonuses, or stipends. Plus you can’t tell from any data (except by asking each institution) RVU generation per member and if that is even accurate.

So the salary ranges you find on line are accurate in that they are skewed and variability because reported incomes is not very consistent across places.

So then if one website says a median of 422K for PEM, another says 226K, another says 233K, and another says 205K, what can I gather from that as someone who is trying to get a general idea of how much a Peds ER physician makes? Just that it can vary from 150-500K? It just is frustrating to not get any more specific info than that but I suppose that's just the fact of the matter?

 

[wickedprophet]

So then if one website says a median of 422K for PEM, another says 226K, another says 233K, and another says 205K, what can I gather from that as someone who is trying to get a general idea of how much a Peds ER physician makes? Just that it can vary from 150-500K? It just is frustrating to not get any more specific info than that but I suppose that's just the fact of the matter?

Yep basically! FYI, I think there’s a negative correlation between academic center and salary.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

Yep basically! FYI, I think there’s a negative correlation between academic center and salary.

That’s definitely true.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

So then if one website says a median of 422K for PEM, another says 226K, another says 233K, and another says 205K, what can I gather from that as someone who is trying to get a general idea of how much a Peds ER physician makes? Just that it can vary from 150-500K? It just is frustrating to not get any more specific info than that but I suppose that's just the fact of the matter?

Yeah, all you’ll ever to be able to gather is a mean/median, that’s about it. But that also tell you nothing about the job or requirements. There is very high variance in roles and responsibilities that go into those individual numbers. For instance in PICU, do those salaries include bonus pays or are those extra. Are calls included or are they incentive pay? If they are included, how many calls? Do you have to do sedation time? Do you have to travel to other hospitals to cover? What non-clinical responsibilities do you have and how much time do you have to commit? Does promotion come with a raise or not?… I could go on but you start to see that a salary X gives you no idea about what the job will be like.