Want To Make A Lot Of Money In Healthcare? Don’t Become A Doctor.

This week the New York Times ran an article about the top earners in healthcare- and perhaps a surprise to none, doctors did not top that list: administrators did.

The healthcare industry has one of the largest salary disparities of any industry in the US: these top tier CEOs can make upwards of seven figures when you factor in stocks and bonuses, while those who are treating patients in the proverbial “trenches” are making minimum wage. Many hold down additional part time jobs in other industries.

With buzz about payments to doctors gracing many headlines these days with the release of Medicare’s payment list, some might have a hard time feeling any sympathy for doctors. The reality is, while doctors are highly trained, their income bracket is determined more often by system they are employed by than the level of skill they possess. The same doctor, with the same set of skills, may make $10,000 more annually in an urban hospital than a smaller, more rural setting. Most of what influences physician salary has less to do with how they practice than where; and, the overall financial healthcare climate in the US is stormy...