With National Doctors’ Day coming up on March 30 and a family physician’s salary ranging from around $130,000 to $310,000, depending on the state, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2024’s Best & Worst States for Doctors, as well as expert commentary, to help pinpoint where doctors can find the most financial success and the best quality employment.
To identify the best states for doctors (and for patients who want the best care), WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 19 key metrics. The data set ranges from the average annual wage of physicians to the number of hospitals per capita to the quality of the public hospital system.
| Best States for Doctors | Worst States for Doctors | |
| 1. Montana | 42. Alaska | |
| 2. South Dakota | 43. Illinois | |
| 3. Nebraska | 44. Oregon | |
| 4. Utah | 45. District of Columbia | |
| 5. Indiana | 46. New Mexico | |
| 6. Minnesota | 47. New York | |
| 7. Wisconsin | 48. Massachusetts | |
| 8. Idaho | 49. New Jersey | |
| 9. Iowa | 50. Rhode Island | |
| 10. Louisiana | 51. Hawaii |
Best vs. Worst:
- Louisiana has the highest average annual wage for surgeons (adjusted for cost of living), which is 3.1 times higher than in District of Columbia, the lowest.
- North Dakota has the lowest number of physicians per 1,000 residents, which is 5.3 times lower than in the District of Columbia, the highest.
- Florida has the highest projected share of the population aged 65 and older by 2030, which is two times higher than in Utah, the lowest.
- Nebraska has the lowest annual malpractice liability insurance rate, which is 8.1 times lower than in New York, the highest.
