Medical Malpractice

How much do typical ER doctors earn every year?

I hear that surgeons get paid a lot of money, too, but it seems that ER doctors have to work a little harder right? DO ER doctors have to go to a very good medicine school to work in, say, a big NYC hospital?

Public Comments

1. While it's true that ER physicians may work in a more hectic environment, and have to work more varied and odd hours, the difficulty of a surgeon's job shouldn't be underestimated. Surgeons have a much longer residency and fellowship than other types of doctors, and it's safe to say that most of the time on the job, another person's life is literally in their hands. Life or death situations actually happen rather rarely in most ERs. As far as pay goes, ER physicians make about the average amount, between $180,000 and $250,000 per year, and surgeons make much more, about double that. As far as medical schools go, the better the school you go to, the better chance you have of working at a top tier hospital. However, many regional trauma centers also look for physicians with a good amount of experience.
2. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of ER doctors are interns, still in medical school or doing their residency. This is part of their training and no they are not paid very well. However, there are some doctors who DO work in ER because they like the challenge, pace and versatility it offers. As for the medical schools, it is up to the individual hospitals to decide what doctors/students to take. They will choose them based on their skills, their training and what they can offer the hospital.