Written By Melanie Lockert
Updated on January 8, 2024
If you want to save lives and help patients solve urgent medical issues, working in emergency medicine might be a good fit for you.
Whether you’re considering the field of medicine or are an ER doctor who wants to know where your earnings stand, ER doctors generally have an average annual salary of six figures and above. However, there are some nuances to be aware of with emergency medicine.
Here’s more on how much ER doctors make, depending on specialty.
How much do ER doctors make?
According to Salary.com, as of February 2022, the average ER physician salary is $299,222. Though that might be the average, salaries are typically between $255,021 and $350,454.
This wage is in line with other sources, like Payscale, which states that the average base ER doctor salary is $251,229. That doesn’t include bonuses or profit-sharing, and Payscale lists the high end of total compensation at $474,000.
Related: Cost of Disability Insurance for Emergency Medicine Physicians & What to Know
Different emergency medicine specialties
Emergencies come in all shapes and forms. As an emergency room physician, there are various subspecialties that might impact the work you do and how much you make. According to the American Board of Medical Specialties, these subspecialties include:
- Anesthesiology critical care medicine
- Emergency medical services
- Hospice and palliative medicine
- Internal medicine-critical care medicine
- Medical toxicology
- Neurocritical care
- Pain medicine
- Pediatric emergency medicine
- Sports medicine
- Undersea and hyperbaric medicine
Breaking down how much ER doctors make depends on these subspecialties. Let’s take a look at what emergency medicine doctors might make.
Anesthesiology critical care medicine
In this subspecialty, physicians might work with trauma victims in the ICU and deal with severe injury and illness. According to Payscale, the average anesthesiologist with critical care skills salary is $298,085 (base salary only).
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services physicians typically work in situations outside of the hospital and might be on-site to perform life-saving procedures after a car accident, wilderness accident, heart attack, etc. According to Glassdoor, emergency medicine physicians at Kaiser Permanente have an average base pay of $348,688 per year.
Hospice and palliative medicine
In this specialty, ER physicians may help patients with end-of-life care and treatment to help alleviate suffering and mitigate pain. According to Glassdoor, the average palliative care physician earns $214,732 per year.
Internal medicine-critical care medicine
Physicians with this specialty work in critical care to help diagnose and treat patients who may be critically ill or experiencing critical injuries. According to Salary.com, the average critical care physician salary is $367,223 per year.
Medical toxicology
Doctors who specialize in medical toxicology can work with patients suffering from addiction and drug abuse, as well as people dealing with environmental or workplaces hazards that may involve chemicals or substances. In general, emergency medical toxicologists deal with poison control. Medical toxicologists earn less than many other specialties. According to Glassdoor, toxicologists earn an average of $90,338 per year.
Neurocritical care
Physicians utilize their skill set in this specialty to work with patients experiencing neurological conditions that might impact the brain and nervous system. According to Glassdoor, neurocritical care physicians can earn an average of $170,860 per year though with estimated additional pay they can expect to earn $211,221 per year.
Pain medicine
As its name suggests, this specialty focuses on patients dealing with various types of pains due to different causes such as cancer or other chronic conditions. According to Salary.com, the average physician who specializes in pain medicine is $358,833.
Pediatric emergency medicine
Physicians who work in pediatric emergency medicine treat and take care of children or infants who are sick and in need of emergency care. According to Salary.com, the average physician in pediatric emergency medicine earns an average of $369,904 per year.
Sports medicine
Physicians working with sports or exercise-related injuries work in sports medicine. This specialty focuses on diagnosing, treating, and managing issues related to injuries dealing with the body that may have an impact on performance. According to Salary.com, the average salary for a physician in sports medicine is $243,232.
Undersea and hyperbaric medicine
This specialty works with patients who may have experienced injuries while diving or underwater, and those who may have injuries that arise from shifts in the atmosphere. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for an undersea and hyperbaric medicine physician is $178,942 per year.
What do ER doctors actually do?
Working as an ER doctor can be unpredictable. You don’t know what kind of issues might arise. But in general, there are certain emergency care tasks and responsibilities you’ll be charged with.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), “The emergency physician provides immediate recognition, evaluation, care, stabilization, and disposition of a generally diversified population of adult and pediatric patients in response to acute illness and injury.”
AAMC also notes that this role is high-pressure with high stakes, in a fast-paced environment. These types of scenarios can literally be life or death.
How long does it take to become an ER doctor?
Like all doctors, it takes years of education to become an ER doctor and work in emergency medicine. In general, an ER doctor will need:
- Four years for a Bachelor’s degree.
- Four years of medical school.
- Three years of training.
There might be 11 years of higher education or more, depending on your specialty. But considering how much ER doctors make, it could be a good investment. Going this route may also require a bit less time as well.
As noted above though, the national average and exact salary range may vary by specialty, years of experience, and demand in the job market. The salary by state might vary as well based on the cost of living (consider New York vs. Missouri vs. Ohio).
Physicians go to medical school, but the time after that, with training and residency might vary. Family medicine might require four or five years, whereas many ER doctor specialties may only require three years or four years. Trauma surgeons might need five or six years of training.
Average student loan debt for ER doctors
Though the average ER doctor may earn a good salary, they may have a high student loan debt as well. The median debt for emergency medicine is $200,000, according to the most current data from the American Medical Association (AMA).
If you’re wondering how much ER doctors make because you want to be sure it’s enough to cover the cost of education, just be aware of how the math works out. It can be a better investment with a promising salary than some other careers but can lead to high debt loads as well.
Pros and cons of being an ER doctor
If you’re considering this route for your career or considering medical school, consider the pros and cons of being an ER doctor.
Pros:
- Can be a rewarding career that saves people’s lives.
- May have more flexibility over schedule.
- May require less time.
- Earns a high salary.
Cons:
- May need to work weekends, evenings and holidays.
- May need to take on six figures of student loan debt.
- Dealing with life or death situations can be stressful at best, traumatic at worst.
- Could experience higher instances of burnout.
Consider the financial, emotional, mental and physical toll this position might inflict to make sure the salary is worth it for you.
The bottom line
Being in the business of saving lives can be rewarding and life-enriching. But working in healthcare with this specific job title can be daunting.
Knowing how much ER doctors make can help you decide if the salary, plus the student debt, is worth it for you. If you need help deciding on whether to take on debt or how to tackle it after the fact, get in touch with the Student Loan Planner for a consultation.
