A General Practitioner (GP) is a doctor who specializes in primary care. They are responsible for diagnosing and treating medical conditions, prescribing medication and providing certain treatments, such as blood-pressure monitoring, on-the-spot health advice and counseling, small surgery, and informing patients about the management of their condition. General practitioners work in a range of settings including private practices and hospitals. Some go on to develop specialist careers in public health or general practice management. Many rural areas rely on GPs to provide accessible healthcare services to patients unable to travel far for treatment.
General Practitioner is one of the most popular specialty in health care. A doctor may specialize to become a General Practitioner (GP) or a specialist after finishing medical school.
Starting Salary For General Practitioner Overview
If you’re thinking about becoming a general practitioner, then you might be wondering how much you can expect to earn. Since there are many factors that go into determining what your starting salary will be, it’s hard to say with absolute certainty. However, we can give you a good idea of what to expect when it comes to your first job as a general practitioner.
In Nigeria, the average starting salary for doctors is $25000 USD per year (as of 2020). It’s important to note that this is an average—it means that some people will earn more than this amount while others will earn less.
The same goes for the United States: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), doctors in the U.S. make an average starting salary of $52800 USD per year (as of 2020). This number varies by state and specialty, but it gives us an idea of what kind of money we should expect when we graduate from medical school and enter our first job as a doctor.
who is a General Practitioner
A general practitioner is a professional that gives basic and regular medical assistance to patients within the society. You are in charge of analyzing patients, evaluating patient’s results, and giving medication as needed. You also have to handle and oversee crews in surgical situations, comprising both stress and overall surgery.
As a practitioner, you will evaluate and treat the patient with various forms of illness from pediatric to geriatrics groups. Likewise, you are to analyze a range of clinical situations and ailments. This means you will conduct extensive examinations and indicate treatment strategies. You are also to give out urgent care for extreme conditions, carry out regular surgeries, and must report reportable ailments to administrative or government agencies.
As a general practitioner, you must have exceptional communication and organization skills. You must as well be kind to patients and pay great attention to details. Additionally, you need a doctoral degree in medicine, veterinary science, advanced dentistry, and oral science. Although, it can be alternated with a bachelor’s degree depending on the employer. As a general practitioner, you will earn an average of $174,341 annually or $83.82 per hour.
General Practitioner Salary
General practitioners working in the United States generally earn salaries in the range from $71,464 to $243,693 including bonuses according to the salary information reported by Payscale.
The basic annual salary for GPs is typically in the range from $73,407 to $168,512, and the yearly bonuses can amount to up to $97,871 according to Payscale’s data. Jobstat reports that the highest annual salary recorded for this profession is $202,227 and the lowets, $67,914 a year.
Average salary
The average salary for general practitioners employed in the United States is $151,876 a year according to Jobstat, and $142,247 a year according to Payscale.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a mean annual wage of $180,850 and a median yearly salary of $172,020 for this occupation.
10% of general practitioners earn up to $84,790 a year, and 25% earn up to $129,440 annually.
Hourly rate
The average hourly wage for general practitioners, as reported by Jobstat, is $74.95. The highest hourly rate recorded for this occupation is $82.50 and the lowest, $67.41 per hour.
The salary figures provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveal a mean hourly wage of $86.95 and a median rate of $82.70 per hour for this occupation. 10% of GPs are paid up to $40.76 per hour, and 25% earn up to $62.23 per hour.
The hourly wage can vary significantly from industry to industry. General practitioners working at offices of physicians earn $88.77 per hour on average, those employed at general medical and surgical hospitals are paid around $84.33 per hour, and professionals working in outpatient care centers make $86.95 per hour on average according to the BLS salary figures. GPs employed by universities, colleges, and professional schools make $55.86 per hour on average, and those employed by the local government are paid around $78.25 per hour.
GPs working at psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals earn $75.93 per hour on average, and those working in other ambulatory health care services receive a median hourly wage of $85.47.
Physicians working in medical and diagnostic laboratories earn $114.55 per hour on average, those working in employment services earn around $96.42 per hour, and professionals employed in management of companies and enterprises are paid around $102.56 per hour. GPs working in home health care services earn around $90.40 per hour, and those employed by nursing care facilities have a median hourly pay of $90.23 according to the BLS salary data.
General practitioners’ hourly rate can also vary significantly from state to state. GPs based in California make $87.59 per hour on average, those working in Florida are paid around $91.75 per hour, and professionals working in Pennsylvania earn around $83.25 per hour. GPs employed in Texas have a median hourly wage of $86.14, those based in Illinois make $87.53 per hour on average, and professionals working in Alaska are paid around $97.19 per hour according to the BLS salary figures.
GPs employed in New Mexico earn around $86.41 per hour, those working in North Dakota make $88.82 per hour on average, and professionals employed in West Virginia earn around $86.09 per hour. General practitioners based in South Carolina have a median hourly pay of $85.56 according to the BLS.
Starting salary
General practitioners who are in their first year on the job typically earn salaries in the range from $51,415 to $179,919 a year according to Payscale’s salary data.
Salary range
General practitioners’ annual pay depends on a wide range of factors, including years of experience.
GPs with 1 to 4 years of experience typically earn an income in the range from $93,333 to $101,736 a year, while those with 5 to 9 years of experience under their belt generally make between $75,000 and $150,085 a year according to Payscale’s salary data.
General practitioners working for organizations that employ 1 to 9 professionals typically report salaries in the range from $112,000 to $172,174 a year.
Salary by state
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the top paying states for general practitioners are Arkansas, where GPs earn $214,080 a year on average, followed by Iowa, where the median annual pay for this occupation is $213,600, and Rhode Island, where GPs make around $205,280 a year. Physicians working in Hawaii earn $205,000 a year on average, and those based in New Hampshire are paid around $202,860 annually on average.
General practitioners employed in California have a median annual salary of $182,000, those based in Florida earn around $190,840 annually, and professionals working in Pennsylvania are paid around $173,150 a year. GPs employed in Texas earn $179,170 a year on average, those based in Illinois are paid around $182,060 annually, and professionals working in New Mexico earn around $179,730 a year.
GPs based in West Virginia have an average annual pay of $179,080, and those working in Alaska earn around $202,160 a year. Professionals employed in South Carolina earn $177,960 a year on average, and those based in North Dakota are paid around $184,740 a year according to the BLS salary statistics.
Salary by industry
The salary data provided the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals that the top paying industries for general practitioners are medical and diagnostic laboratories, where these professionals earn $238,270 a year on average. GPs working in management of companies and enterprises earn around $213,320 a year, and those working in employment services are paid $200,550 a year on average. GPs working in home health services earn around $188,030 annually, and those employed at nursing care facilities have a median annual salary of $187,680 according to the BLS salary data.
General practitioners working at offices of physicians receive a median annual pay of $184,630, those employed at general medical and surgical hospitals are paid around $175,410 a year, and GPs working in outpatient care centers earn $180,860 a year on average. Professionals employed by universities, colleges,a nd professional schools make $116,200 a year on average, and those working for the local government earn around $162,760 a year.
General practitioners employed at psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals have an average annual salary of $157,940, and those working in other ambulatory health care services are paid around $177,790 a year according to the BLS.
Benefits
General practice physicians typically get a wide range of benefits along with their annual salary and bonuses, and their benefits packages can sometimes reflect their yearly pay.
Doctors who have 401(k) plans generally make between $78,350 and $198,694 a year, those who have malpractice and liability insurance are typically paid between $69,810 and $185,476 annually, and GPs who have paid sick leave earn between $57,192 and $171,777 a year according to Payscale’s salary figures.
General practitioners who have paid vacations and holidays typically make between $52,304 and $206,569 a year, and professionals who get 403(b) plans as part of their benefits package usually report an annual income in the range from $147,967 to $204,000.
Professionals who have life and disability insurance generally earn between $82,212 and $183,831 annually, and those who get reimbursement for education, training, tuition, or certification typically report earning salaries in the range from $52,551 to $181,103 a year according to Payscale’s data.
Other income factors
Employer type is another factor that can affect a GP’s annual salary. For example, general practitioners employed by private practices and firms typically earn salaries in the range from $144,808 to $167,865 a year, while those working at hospitals generally make between $92,531 and $101,736 a year according to Payscale’s salary statistics.
The yearly bonus payments also depend on a wide range of factors, including years of professional experience. For instance, GPs with 1 to 4 years of experience typically report being paid around $3,500 a year in bonuses, while those with 20 or more years of experience under their belt get $8,000 a year on average in bonus money.
Bonuses can also vary from state to state. For example, general practitioners based in California get $7,000 a year on average, and those working in Texas are paid around $10,000 a year in bonuses according to Payscale.
Bonus earnings can also vary from industry to industry. General practitioners working at medical offices report getting $32,000 a year on average, those working at hospitals are paid around $11,000 a year, and professionals working in general surgery get $3,750 a year on average in bonuses.
Hospital setting is another factor that can affect GPs’ annual bonuses. For instance, professionals working at physicians’ offices and private practices get around $10,000 a year, while those working at general hospitals are paid $11,000 a year on average in bonus money.
In terms of employer type, general practitioners working at hospitals earn around $2,035 a year, while those employed by private practices and firms report getting $32,500 a year on average in bonuses according to Payscale’s salary data.
Men get $8,000 a year on average in bonuses, and women are paid around $2,500 a year on average.