Hospitalist Salary Guide

The average annual hospitalist salary is $316,000 per year in the U.S., according to Medscape’s 2023 hospitalist compensation report. This figure is for all hospitalists—according to the report, hospitalist primary care providers (PCPs) made $274,000 per year.

Locum tenens hospitalist MDs can make $160–$200 per hour on average, however, there are many factors that impact rates including location, years of experience, and the level of demand. 

If you were to extrapolate the low end of this range over a year (at 40 hours per week), a locum tenens pediatric anesthesiologist could make $332,800 per year or more.

That means locum tenens hospitalists could make 5% more per year than the average hospitalist. Making direct salary comparisons between locum tenens and permanent providers can be complicated. While perm hospitalists are more likely to be salaried, locum tenens hospitalists are independent contractors earning an hourly rate, which can vary based on which assignments they take in a year.

Furthermore, because locum tenens hospitalists are paid by the hour, the hours they work are directly reflected in their pay, while a salaried hospitalist’s additional hours may not be reflected in their salary.

Finally, paid time off and insurance may be reflected in the permanent hospitalist’s salary structure, but locum tenens providers do have options when it comes to health insurance.

According to TodaysHospitalist.com, some areas of the United States pay hospitalists more than others. Here are the top paying geographic regions for hospitalists in the United States:

• Pacific – $360,449
• Midwest – $352,375
• South – $341,176
• Mountain – $329,572
• Southwest – $328,581
• Northeast – $316,343

Physician salaries have increased in general over the last several years, with a 3% increase in pay from 2022 to 2023, according to Medscape’s 2024 physician compensation report.

Check out and apply to our open locum tenens hospitalist jobs today!