An urgent care physician is paid to provide health care.
Urgent care physicians provide health care in urgent care centers. Urgent care medicine involves providing immediate medical services on an outpatient basis for acute injuries and chronic illnesses. The urgent care physician is paid to treat patients in a timely manner, so as to avoid a potential emergency situation. Urgent care physicians typically work long hours and must cope with high stress situations and make sound decisions in the event of an emergency.
Education, Training and Average Salary
Urgent care physicians need extensive education and training. Physicians are typically educated for eight years before attending a three- to eight-year internship and residency before practicing. After medical school, the urgent care physician must obtain licensure and certification to practice. Urgent care physicians receive handsome compensation for their extensive education and training.
According to BMC Health Services Research, the salaries for urgent care physicians are similar to that of primary care and family physicians. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual compensation for a primary care physician as of 2009 was $186,044. The American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine notes urgent care salaries range between $155,438 and $208,335. A Physician Compensation Survey from the American Medical Group Association pegs urgent care physicians' salaries slightly higher, at $222,920.
Increasing Salary
Urgent care physicians who want to increase their salary have a few options. One potential way to increase salary is to transition from urgent care into a medical specialty. Physicians who practice in a medical specialty earn significantly more and average an annual salary of $339,738. Some of the higher paying medical specialties include cardiac surgery, diagnostic radiology, gastroenterology, orthopedic surgery and neurological surgery. The highest paying medical specialty is orthopedic spine surgery. Orthopedic spine surgeons average $688,503 per year, according to a survey from the American Medical Group Association.
Self-Employment
Additionally, the physician may also want to consider becoming self-employed. Self-employed physicians generally have higher salaries than those who are in a salaried position. However, being self-employed does have drawbacks. For example, self-employed doctors must provide their own health insurance and retirement plans.
Benefits
In addition to salary, it isn't uncommon for an urgent care physician to have numerous benefits. According to Staff Pointe, some benefits provided to urgent care physicians may include health care coverage, life and disability insurance, paid time off, and pension plans. Additionally, the urgent care physician may be offered a sign-on bonus as well as an annual bonus.
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