The number of physicians across the United States reveals significant variations, with California leading the pack at nearly ******* active doctors as of April 2025. This concentration of medical professionals in populous states highlights the ongoing challenge of ensuring adequate healthcare access nationwide. The stark contrast between California's physician count and Wyoming's mere ***** doctors underscores the need for targeted efforts to address healthcare workforce shortages in less populated areas. Primary care and specialist distribution California leads also in both primary care physicians and specialists, accounting for over ** percent of each category nationally. This concentration of medical expertise in California reflects broader trends, with New York and Texas following as the states with the highest numbers of active primary care physicians. The distribution of specialists also mirrors national patterns, with psychiatry, surgery, and anaesthesiology among the most common specialties. Physician burnout While the number of physicians continues to grow, physician burnout remains a significant issue. There are large variations in rates of burnout depending on a physician's gender and specialty. For example, burnout is disproportionally high among women, affecting ** percent of female physicians and ** percent of male physicians. Meanwhile, emergency medicine physicians reported the highest levels of burnout among specialists, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to support the individual needs of doctors depending on their different circumstances.

As of 2022, the number of licensed physicians in the United States and the District of Columbia amounted to ********* physicians. This included both Doctors of Medicine and Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine. The number of licensed U.S. physicians has been steadily increasing since 2010.

As of May 2024, the number of primary care physicians in U.S. amounted to 527,164. In comparison, there were 582,296 specialist physicians that year, making a total of over 1.1 million professionally active physicians in the U.S.

As of 2021, roughly one in 14 active physicians in the United States were Hispanic (regardless of race). Asians were overrepresented, accounting for one in five physicians in the U.S., while Asians made up just seven percent of the total U.S. population.

In 2024, around 38 percent of physicians in the United States were women. During that year, half of physicians in the District of Columbia were women, the highest share of female physicians in the country. On the other hand, Idaho had the lowest share of female physicians in the U.S.

In the United States, there were roughly 268 thousand primary care physicians (PCPs) actively working in 2021. Most PCPs were either specialized in family medicine or internal medicine. The third most common specialty for primary care physicians in the United States was pediatrics.

In 2021, in some specialties, female primary care physicians (PCPs) were more common than men. Geriatrics and pediatrics were specialties where PCPs were predominantly female in the United States. For instance, two-thirds of PCPs who specialized in pediatrics were women. On the other hand, just 41 percent of PCPs who specialized in internal medicine in the U.S. were female in 2021.

According to a survey in 2024, female primary care physicians in the United States had earned an annual compensation of 253 thousand U.S. dollars while male primary care physicians earned 295 thousand dollars. The gender pay gap is even wider among specialist physicians with female specialists earning over 100 thousand U.S. dollars less than male counterparts.

As of April 2025, around 39 percent of professionally active licensed physicians in the United States were women. This has increased by one percent compared to the previous year. Over half, 51 percent, of physicians in the District of Columbia were women, the highest share of female physicians in the country. On the other hand, Idaho had the lowest share of female physicians in the U.S. at 29 percent.

In 2024, not all medical specialties experienced a pay rise in the U.S. In fact, of those surveyed, physicians in six medical specialties suffered a drop in salary. Plastic surgeons sustained the largest reduction - a 13 percent decrease in compensation compared to 2023. On the contrary, the other 23 specialties in the survey all saw varying increase in pay, with physicians specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the top with a 11 percent pay rise compared to the previous year.

This statistic shows the number of licensed doctors* in China from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, the number of licensed doctors in China amounted to approximately 4.78 million, compared to 4.43 million in the previous year.

Orthopedic doctors and surgeons earn on average 558 thousand U.S. dollars annually. This makes Orthopedic doctors and surgeons the most well-compensated physicians in the United States as of 2024, followed by plastic surgeons. Plastic surgeons were, by far, the highest earning physicians in the U.S. in 2023. An orthopedic physician specializes in injuries and diseases involving bones, muscles, joints, nerves and other parts of the musculoskeletal system.

Physician salary

Although orthopedic doctors and surgeons have the highest average annual salary, from 2023 to 2024 their compensation actually decreased by 3 percent. In comparison, compensation for physicians specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation increased 11 percent during this time, while plastic surgeons saw the largest decrease of 13 percent. The region with the highest annual compensation for physicians was West North Central in 2024, with physicians earning some 404 thousand U.S. dollars in this region.

Characteristics of U.S. physicians

There are currently around 29.2 active physicians per 10,000 people in the U.S. Around 29 percent of physicians in the U.S. are aged between 56 and 65 years, while only 11 percent are 35 years or younger. The vast majority of physicians are employed by hospitals or groups and work an average of 51 hours per week.

As of April 2025, there were a total of 570,655 specialty physicians active in the United States. Of these, most were specialized in emergency medicine. Physician compensation Significant pay variations exist across specialties and regions, with orthopedic doctors and surgeons command the highest average annual salaries at 564,000 U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, the Midwest region offers the highest average physician compensation at 385,000 U.S. dollars annually. Interestingly, doctors in Northern parts of the United States tend to earn less than their counterparts in other regions. Burnout among physicians Despite high salaries, U.S. physicians face high workload and stress in the workplace. Nearly half of surveyed doctors reported feeling burnout, with higher burnout rates among female doctors, younger physicians, and those in primary care compared to their counterparts. More effort to combat burnout is needed in the healthcare system. Increasing compensation was cited by physicians as the top measure to alleviate burnout, followed by adding support staff and offering more flexible schedules.

As of 2025, the number of female physicians in the U.S. amounted to *******, which represents ** percent of the total active licensed physicians in the country. That year, California had the highest number of female physicians in the country, with roughly ****** female physicians.

In 2023, Peru had a total of 98,225 physicians, up from 91,143 doctors registered a year earlier. Overall, the number of doctors has been increasing since 2015, when more than 67,000 physicians were registered in the South American country. The region with the largest number of medical doctors in the country is Lima.

In 2024, there were approximately ******* licensed doctors registered in Brazil. By type, around ** percent, equivalent to ******* doctors, were specialist physicians, while about ******* professionals were general practitioners. That year, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro were the Brazilian states with the highest number of doctors registered in the country, including generalists and specialists.

In 2024, there were over ******* specialized doctors registered in Brazil. The medical practice with the highest number of physicians was internal medicine, with over ****** medical professionals. Pediatrics followed, with around ****** specialists, while general surgeons amounted to approximately ****** professionals. Physician workforce in Brazil In Brazil, the total number of registered physicians reached over ******* licensed professionals in 2024, with most doctors being specialists. Broken down by gender, the South American country had more men actively practicing medicine than women, with around **** female doctors for every male physician. That year, São Paulo was the state with the most registered doctors in Brazil, followed by Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais. Telemedicine services in Brazil Telemedicine, or telehealth, often refers to the provision of healthcare services by technological means. Through telemedicine, health practitioners can provide a wide variety of services, including remote diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of health conditions. In Brazil, revenue stemming from online doctor consultations is expected to increase to approximately *********** U.S. dollars by 2027 along with the number of users of online doctor consultations, which are forecast to reach over ************ people by the same year.

As of May 2024, there were a total of 65,752 active specialty physicians in California. This included some 7,895 psychiatrists and 2,257 oncologists.

The statistic displays the number of people per active physician in the United States in 2021, based on specialty. In that year, there were ****** people per physician specializing in pain medicine and pain management. The largest number of active physicians are among primary care specialties such as internal medicine and general practice. Active physician in the U.S.Both federal and nonfederal physicians licensed by a state and working at least 20 hours a week are considered active. There is a large variety among practicing physicians in the United States based on specialties. In 2019, there were about ****** people per physician practicing interventional cardiology and about ***** people per pediatrician. Overall, there are *** people per physician of all specialties. There are also gross differences between practicing physicians based on specialty and both age group and gender. Nearly ** percent of physicians practicing neurological surgery are males, and a ** percent of physicians practicing obstetrics and gynecology are women. Overall, women make up about ** percent of all physicians. Some ** percent of physicians practicing internal medicine/pediatrics as well as ** percent of doctors practicing interventional cardiology were under the age of 55. More than **** of the doctors practicing geriatric medicine in the United States obtained their medical education internationally. This includes outside the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. To be able to practice in the United States, these doctors must be certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduate and complete a residency within the United States.

As of May 2024, there were a total of 21,195 active specialty physicians in Massachusetts. This included some 2,818 psychiatrists and 1,225 oncologists.