TL;DR
Gastroenterology recorded the highest average physician starting salary in AMN Healthcare’s 2026 recruiting report, at $654,000. Urology had the largest year-over-year increase, while orthopedics and pediatrics saw declines. The report also found higher average pay for non-academic roles and widespread use of signing bonuses.
Gastroenterology had the highest average starting salary among physician specialties in AMN Healthcare’s 2026 recruiting incentives report, at $654,000, up from $552,000 the previous year. Urology recorded the largest year-over-year increase, rising 22.5% to $638,000, according to the report, which tracks recruiting engagements for physicians and advanced practice providers.
The report found that the overall average physician starting salary was $419,000, compared with $403,000 in the prior year. Several specialties recorded double-digit increases: non-invasive cardiology rose 20.9% to $568,000; otolaryngology increased 18.0% to $575,000; hospitalist salaries rose 17.8% to $328,000; radiology increased 14.2% to $571,000; and neurology rose 13.6% to $391,000. These figures are averages from the report’s recruiting engagements, not guarantees of what an individual physician will earn.
Not every specialty moved higher. Orthopedics had the steepest reported decline, with average starting compensation falling 12% to $507,000 from $576,000. Pediatrics declined 10.6%, from $258,000 to $230,000. Across positions, average starting pay differed by setting: non-academic roles averaged $452,000, while academic roles averaged $362,000.
Employers also used incentives alongside salary. Nearly nine in 10 search engagements included a signing bonus, and the average physician bonus was $49,306, an increase of $11,091 from the previous year. The average signing bonus for nurse practitioners and physician assistants was $12,567. The report said relocation allowances appeared in two-thirds of offers, averaging $13,594 for physicians and $6,694 for NPs and PAs; continuing medical education allowances appeared in nearly three in five offers.
Pay Differences Across Specialties
The figures offer a snapshot of the compensation employers reported using to recruit clinicians during the period covered. For physicians weighing job offers, specialty and work setting were associated with wide differences in average starting pay. The contrast between academic and non-academic averages also suggests that salary comparisons need to account for the type of employer and position.
Recruitment costs extend beyond base compensation. With signing bonuses common and relocation, education, and production incentives also appearing in offers, employers are competing through several parts of a compensation package. AMN’s report cautions that attracting candidates does not by itself retain them: employers must also address retention. The report does not quantify how much any one incentive affects whether a clinician stays.
How AMN Compiled the Figures
AMN Healthcare’s recruiting incentives report is in its 33rd year. This edition draws on a representative sample of 1,293 permanent physician and advanced practice provider search engagements in 47 states. The engagements took place from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026, so the report reflects recruiting activity over that period rather than every job offer made nationwide.
AMN assessed clinician demand by comparing job openings with the number of physicians in a specialty. Family medicine was the most requested physician search for the 20th consecutive year, while nurse practitioners were the most requested search for the sixth year in a row. The report also described strong demand for anesthesiologists, gastroenterologists, hematologists and oncologists, cardiologists, and radiologists.
“As the population ages, specialist demand will continue to outpace primary care demand.”
— AMN Healthcare report
What the Salary Averages Leave Out
The report’s averages do not show the full range of offers within each specialty or explain how factors such as location, experience, workload, or employer type affected individual compensation. The supplied findings also do not specify whether salary figures include every form of incentive or how the averages were calculated beyond the recruiting engagements described. They should be read as reported averages, not as a prediction for a specific job seeker.
The report describes demand and compensation trends but does not establish why a particular specialty’s average rose or fell. It also notes that physicians are increasingly choosing 1099 independent contractor arrangements, while saying traditional employment remains dominant; the supplied material gives no count or share for either work arrangement.
Recruiting Trends to Watch
The report points to continued specialty recruiting needs as employers respond to an aging population and demand for tests, treatments, and procedures. It identifies specialist demand relative to primary care and the number of physicians choosing independent contractor work as trends to watch, while traditional employment remains the leading model, according to AMN.
Future reports can show whether the salary increases, specialty gaps, and use of signing bonuses continue. For now, the 2026 findings cover the engagements sampled through March 31, 2026; the report does not provide a forecast for starting salaries after that period.
Key Questions
Which specialty had the highest average starting salary?
Gastroenterology led the specialties listed, with an average starting salary of $654,000 in AMN Healthcare’s 2026 report.
Which specialty had the largest salary increase?
Urology had the largest year-over-year increase, rising 22.5% from $521,000 to $638,000.
Did starting salaries rise across all specialties?
No. The report said most specialties had increases, but orthopedics fell 12% to $507,000 and pediatrics fell 10.6% to $230,000.
How common were physician signing bonuses?
Nearly nine in 10 search engagements included a signing bonus. The average physician bonus was $49,306, according to the report.
What period does the report cover?
The report is based on 1,293 permanent physician and advanced practice provider search engagements in 47 states from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
Source: rss
