How much does a general doctor make?
a year · about $123 an hour
A typical general doctor in the United States makes $256,560 a year, about $123 an hour, about 5× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
General doctors see mostly adults in offices or hospitals, checking symptoms and test results to find the problem. They explain treatments, manage long-term illnesses, encourage prevention, and refer patients to specialists when needed.
Did you know? In the U.S., more than 90% of hospitalists—doctors who care for people in the hospital—are general internal medicine doctors.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $73,570 and $475,430How do you become one?
In the U.S., earn a bachelor’s degree, complete four years of medical school, pass licensing exams, and get a state medical license. Then finish a three-year internal medicine residency; many doctors begin in their late 20s.
School needed: Graduate degree or long training
Good for people who like figuring things out and helping and teaching
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can vary with experience and credentials, location, and the setting, such as a private office, hospital, or teaching hospital. Full-time or part-time hours, on-call duties, and extra training in a subspecialty can also make a difference.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Wisconsin ($367,160), lowest in Illinois ($140,680).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $73,570 | $256,560 | $475,430 | about 67,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $367,160 | about 1,000 |
| South Carolina | $359,500 | about 1,000 |
| Washington | $340,010 | about 1,000 |
| Indiana | $314,390 | about 2,000 |
| California | $313,890 | about 6,000 |
Official definition: Diagnose and provide nonsurgical treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. Provide care mainly for adults and adolescents, and are based primarily in an outpatient care setting. Excludes “Family Medicine Physicians” (29-1215) and “Pediatricians, General” (29-1221).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/29-1216.00
- www.acponline.org/about-acp/about-internal-medicine/career-paths/medical-student
- www.aamc.org/media/61496/download?attachment
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY