Internists use non-surgical methods to treat disease and illness of internal organs. There are tens of thousands of jobs for internists who have the training and board certification, and these internal-medicine specialists earn a substantial salary.
As a branch of medical science, it is no surprise that internal medicine doctors earn one of the highest average salaries in the United States. In a study done by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary was $189,480. Of course, this dwarfs the vast majority of all occupations.
Of the 50,070 jobs for internal medicine doctors (general internists for the statistical study), almost 36,000 of those jobs were with physician offices as either a sole practitioner or partner or other member or associate of a medical clinic. Internists often start out as wage-earning employees of an office, so an individual seeking a career in internal medicine does not necessarily need investment money in the beginning.
At any rate, there are other jobs in internal medicine. There are over 8,000 internists employed by general and surgical hospitals, over 2,000 working in outpatient care centers, and even a few hundred in home health care services. Colleges, universities, and professional schools hire close to 2,000 internists for teaching or research positions.
With almost 9,000 internists, California has a massive lead over other states in terms of internal medicine jobs. However, it does not have the highest average internal medicine salary. In fact, it is only about average. States with the highest salary for internists include only New Hampshire in the Northeast. In the Mid Atlantic, there is Maryland and the District of Columbia. Further south are North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida.
The other states are actually in or near the middle of the country. They include Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New Mexico. Western states (even California) had lower but certainly still excellent salary averages for internists and internal medicine specialists.
To get these internal medicine jobs, aspiring doctors should be aware that they will need to get a medical license and board certification. The American Board or Internal Medicine provides board certification for internists and related specialists.
Note: The job and salary information provided by BLS is not precisely for internal medicine. It is for general internists. Those with related specialties may have a higher or lower salary and job prospects.
Resources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs and Salary for General Internists
American Board of Internal Medicine Certification Overview