Where would you go to earn the most?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
T

tombola

New Member
2+ Year Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2019
Messages
8
Reaction score
5
If location, family and other factors were not an issue where would you move to in the US for the highest salary for 2-3 years? I am trying to pin down a location, so far Alaska seems to be the highest salaries I've seen advertised. Do $700k + jobs exist out there? I am contemplating doing this for a few years to jump start savings and then take a more chill job when I start a family.
Members don't see this ad.
 
Don't forget cost of living calculation as well. I know you said us only, but did you look at other countries (UAE and Saudi).
 
Airway said:
Don't forget cost of living calculation as well. I know you said us only, but did you look at other countries (UAE and Saudi).
Click to expand...
That is an important aspect to take into account as well.. Any idea what kind of salary to expect in UAE or Saudi? They're tax free also, right?
 
Members don't see this ad :)
tombola said:
If location, family and other factors were not an issue where would you move to in the US for the highest salary for 2-3 years? I am trying to pin down a location, so far Alaska seems to be the highest salaries I've seen advertised. Do $700k + jobs exist out there? I am contemplating doing this for a few years to jump start savings and then take a more chill job when I start a family.
Click to expand...
Alaska
Wyoming
Montana
Kansas

If you are willing to do a "track" there are several more to list. In general, the Coastal areas will pay you less as a new grad and/or demand a long track to partnership. I know there are $700k jobs in California but the cost of living will eat you alive (not to mention the taxes). Upstate New York, Michigan, etc are other places which can pay very well. In general, the nicer the weather the less chance you have of making big bucks as a new grad. By nicer weather one must include areas which have great skiing and outdoor activities not just sunshine and beaches.
 
Nyc region +60 mile radius can get you a 250-300hr/hr locums gig. May be harder for new grads but aside form locums unless you were able to time travel back 15 years and become a partner in a PP group, I don't think those numbers are attainable.
 
As others have touched on above, it's not what you make, it's what you keep. Best bet is to go somewhere with no/low state income tax and low cost of living with above average salary. Alaska, Indiana, Nevada, New Hampshire would be good to check out. They're also frequently hiring as few people want to move to these places.

If you want a high number on your W2 but a lower take home than the above, central valley CA, Illinois, and Wisconsin have what you're looking for.
 
I don't understand why a relatively younger person would want to spend the better parts of their life working their butt and living someone where most people don't really chose to live just to obtain a number, when you could just live somewhere relatively decent and make decent money and enjoy life a bit. Maybe I'm sleep though.....
 
ambiturner said:
As others have touched on above, it's not what you make, it's what you keep. Best bet is to go somewhere with no/low state income tax and low cost of living with above average salary. Alaska, Indiana, Nevada, New Hampshire would be good to check out. They're also frequently hiring as few people want to move to these places.

If you want a high number on your W2 but a lower take home than the above, central valley CA, Illinois, and Wisconsin have what you're looking for.
Click to expand...
Nevada and NH are interesting. Are there good Practices there whether it’s academic or PP in terms of pay?
 
Twiggidy said:
I don't understand why a relatively younger person would want to spend the better parts of their life working their butt and living someone where most people don't really chose to live just to obtain a number, when you could just live somewhere relatively decent and make decent money and enjoy life a bit. Maybe I'm sleep though.....
Click to expand...

perhaps this guy has massive debt from
undergrad and grad school and med school.
Not impossible to rack up over 600k. Easy way to pay off debt, start a savings etc. If this person has a partner and enough vacation time to go to more desirable places it’s not the worst idea.
 
PlayToWin said:
perhaps this guy has massive debt from
undergrad and grad school and med school.
Not impossible to rack up over 600k. Easy way to pay off debt, start a savings etc. If this person has a partner and enough vacation time to go to more desirable places it’s not the worst idea.
Click to expand...
If massive debt is the case, I’d honestly do 3 years with the Navy and see if I could get a decent amount forgiven before taking a job at a potential predatory practice in a not so fun place to live. It’s arguable but at least the former route could be much more rewarding
 
Although I’m sure these 700k jobs exist as owners in certain PP groups I don’t see how it’s attainable your first year out regardless of where you move. Having been through job search as a graduating resident and hearing from others the highest paying first year out were AMCs @ 425-450k. If want more then have to go partnership route but I don’t know anyone who took something where partners were making 700s. 500s yes after 2-3yrs
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Good luck with 700k first year these days. Even hitting the locum jackpot is hard to do 700k with no experience. You can get lucky and find locum gigs that pay close to that, but they are disappearing fast
 
ToKingdomCome said:
Nevada and NH are interesting. Are there good Practices there whether it’s academic or PP in terms of pay?
Click to expand...

I work in NH. Great quality of life, tough housing market but still some great anesthesia jobs including partner track and no state income tax. PM me if you are interested and I can send you info on our group.
 
I agree with the above. I can say with confidence that number is un-attainable in this field. Period. Even if it were attainable, t he amount of work it would take ( very little vacation, very long hours, risky anesthetics, many evening and night shifts and a 300k minimum tax bill payable to Biden would make it simply unpalatable. How does it feel knowing you would be financing Biden's bull**** wage on high earners as if they are the problem.

Plus the field is sufficiently saturated with MDs and CRNAs that they dont have to pay those numbers, even in the boonies.
 
Aheadbyacentury said:
I agree with the above. I can say with confidence that number is un-attainable in this field. Period. Even if it were attainable, t he amount of work it would take ( very little vacation, very long hours, risky anesthetics, many evening and night shifts and a 300k minimum tax bill payable to Biden would make it simply unpalatable. How does it feel knowing you would be financing Biden's bull**** wage on high earners as if they are the problem.

Plus the field is sufficiently saturated with MDs and CRNAs that they dont have to pay those numbers, even in the boonies.
Click to expand...
I am sorry to correct you on this but you are simply wrong. The top 5% of private groups are earning $700k as partner probably even more. With a good payer mix and covering 4:1 that type of income is attainable. Yes, you do need to work hard (60 hours per week) and cover a lot of anesthetics but if money is your goal I can assure you it exists.

I even know partners in USAP who are still earning over $650k; again, they work very hard and a lot of hours but the money is there.
 
Partners who bust behind make that... not new grads. Maybe Alaska 🤷‍♀️ I did see north star was offering a gig in Nebraska for lots of $, low cost of living.... but even then it wasn’t 700 and that is likely the worst anesthesia job on earth.
what I would advise is what lots of people here are saying... find balance. If you want to ***** yourself out for money you shouldn’t have gone to med school. This is a nice way to make a living but there are much faster easier ways to bank. Find a place you wouldn’t mind living, with a schedule that won’t kill you.... the difference between 450 and 550 isn’t much after the tax man.... I know how you are thinking right now being a poor resident.... but you have to accept that you will make a nice living in anesthesia not break the bank.
 
BLADEMDA said:
I am sorry to correct you on this but you are simply wrong. The top 5% of private groups are earning $700k as partner probably even more. With a good payer mix and covering 4:1 that type of income is attainable. Yes, you do need to work hard (60 hours per week) and cover a lot of anesthetics but if money is your goal I can assure you it exists.

I even know partners in USAP who are still earning over $650k; again, they work very hard and a lot of hours but the money is there.
Click to expand...
I do not doubt that if given the opportunity to bill on your own that it is possible. It Still would take a lot of work. However, for the OP and newbies, heck even veterans this is NOT available anywhere for all intents and purposes. Of course, if you are a partner in a private group and you have a 6-12 physician employees who give up their billing rights to you yes you will make that. But this kind of ponzi scheme is not available almost all.

If you know of a practice that those numbers are available please post specifics or send me specific info by DM.
 
A practice in an affluent area with mostly insured will allow you to make bank theoretically, but in reality you will be giving a good amount away to the senior partners. So its going to be uncommon for anyone to make 700k, and less common for a new grad. If they are offering 700k, you must ask yourself in what other way is the job ****ed up.
 
SaltyDog said:
I know a guy that made close to 750 his first year out in SD, but I think he literally worked every single day that year to do it.
Click to expand...
Exactly this. I’m sure that guy looked at his W2 and may have gotten total satisfaction from it but then the question remains, why live in a wonderful place like San Diego if you have to work everyday? And I mean that in the sense of working yourself to the ground. Work half of that, make about 400, and go to the beach and have some fish tacos on those days your otherwise would’ve worked
 
Thanks for all the responses, a lot of good advice. $700k was a random number just thrown out. Having seen the jobs offerings in Alaska for 600+ I was just wondering how realistic these salaries are, especially with 10+ wks vacation and being someone who wouldn't mind a few years up there...

I do appreciate the input from everyone. Probably better to pick a location and lifestyle over trying to kill myself for a couple years. No real debt either, just interested in the opportunity before settling!
 
tombola said:
Thanks for all the responses, a lot of good advice. $700k was a random number just thrown out. Having seen the jobs offerings in Alaska for 600+ I was just wondering how realistic these salaries are, especially with 10+ wks vacation and being someone who wouldn't mind a few years up there...

I do appreciate the input from everyone. Probably better to pick a location and lifestyle over trying to kill myself for a couple years. No real debt either, just interested in the opportunity before settling!
Click to expand...

if you have never been to these places, you might not understand why they are so bad.. especially if you come from a decent area, you may be shocked at how bad life can be in some places..

i knew a guy whose main priority was high salary on the east coast. He found a cardiac job for 475 plus benefits in Virginia. I truly believe thats the top starting salary (non-partner) for the east coast.
 
Aheadbyacentury said:
I agree with the above. I can say with confidence that number is un-attainable in this field. Period. Even if it were attainable, t he amount of work it would take ( very little vacation, very long hours, risky anesthetics, many evening and night shifts and a 300k minimum tax bill payable to Biden would make it simply unpalatable. How does it feel knowing you would be financing Biden's bull**** wage on high earners as if they are the problem.

Plus the field is sufficiently saturated with MDs and CRNAs that they dont have to pay those numbers, even in the boonies.
Click to expand...
Hoya11 said:
if you have never been to these places, you might not understand why they are so bad.. especially if you come from a decent area, you may be shocked at how bad life can be in some places..

i knew a guy whose main priority was high salary on the east coast. He found a cardiac job for 475 plus benefits in Virginia. I truly believe thats the top starting salary (non-partner) for the east coast.
Click to expand...

Like blade said you just need to work a lot or have good payor mix with supervision. Ascs with a lot of short cases is where it's at.

You can find 500 starting in the long island area non cardiac
 
dabears505 said:
Man now I'm craving a fish taco
Click to expand...
As mentioned before, people in your group will pay you to take their call. If you’re in a fair group where you work post call, you’ll likely earn more. But, post call off is ideal

I have not and will not eat a fish taco on the grounds many pathology/microbiology practice questions from medical school involving fish tacos.
 
D P356 said:
As mentioned before, people in your group will pay you to take their call. If you’re in a fair group where you work post call, you’ll likely earn more. But, post call off is ideal

I have not and will not eat a fish taco on the grounds many pathology/microbiology practice questions from medical school involving fish tacos.
Click to expand...

A fish taco is just a fish stick in a tortilla.
 
pgg said:
Maybe you can avoid some taxes but there's no way to avoid being the douche who sold his soul to work in UAE or Saudi Arabia.
Click to expand...

Not to mention that many US anesthesiologists make as much or more than they do in those countries. They may be a good option if you come from a country where doctors are poorly paid, but the US is one of the countries with the highest paid doctors in the world. We should count our blessings.
 
Numerous groups I've talked to, can expect low 400s first year, high 400s 2nd year, and 600+ as a partner with reasonable vacation.

One group, you made equal partner pay from day one, but had to buy in with $150K over the first 2 years, their partners were making mid 500s with 10-12 weeks vacation and obviously more if taking less vacation.
 
abolt18 said:
Numerous groups I've talked to, can expect low 400s first year, high 400s 2nd year, and 600+ as a partner with reasonable vacation.

One group, you made equal partner pay from day one, but had to buy in with $150K over the first 2 years, their partners were making mid 500s with 10-12 weeks vacation and obviously more if taking less vacation.
Click to expand...
What part of country? Supervision or solo?
 
Twiggidy said:
Exactly this. I’m sure that guy looked at his W2 and may have gotten total satisfaction from it but then the question remains, why live in a wonderful place like San Diego if you have to work everyday? And I mean that in the sense of working yourself to the ground. Work half of that, make about 400, and go to the beach and have some fish tacos on those days your otherwise would’ve worked
Click to expand...
Im pretty sure he meant south Dakota.. you can work every single day in San Diego and I bet you wouldnt be at 700
 
mmag said:
700+k non-supervision jobs definitely exist in the West as long as you are willing to work 80 hours a week with 3 weeks of vacation residency style. 80 hours a week doing your own cases could feel less stressful than 55 hours a week of 1:4 medical direction.
Click to expand...
I can tell you 80 hours a week solo feels like 80 hours solo..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

abolt18
Where Will Craig Kent Go Next?
Replies
6
Views
1K
abolt18
abolt18
P
Another which job would you pick?
Replies
29
Views
2K
Twiggidy
Twiggidy
I
Where on the thigh do you do ACBs?
Replies
34
Views
3K
nimbus
nimbus
whatsthepoint
EM intern, where can I go from here?
Replies
31
Views
3K
Iso4ane
Iso4ane
B
Would you take this job?
Replies
30
Views
3K
ASA6
A
Top