Cardiologists' Incomes Were Up in 2011

Median compensation for noninvasive cardiologists in group practice increased 8.4% in 2011, but invasive cardiologists saw only a 1% increase, according to a survey by the Medical Group Management Association.

In 2011, the median compensation for the 666 noninvasive cardiologists responding to the survey was $468,136, compared with $431,740 in 2010. The 519 invasive cardiologists had a median income of $472,446 in 2011, compared with $467,715 in 2010, the MGMA reported.

Noninvasive cardiologists in single-specialty practices earned $499,197 in 2011, while those in multispecialty practices earned $448,544. Invasive cardiologists in single-specialty practices reported median compensation of $477,349 in 2011, compared with $470,417 for those in multispecialty practices, the survey showed.

There was considerable geographic variation in both subspecialties. Noninvasive cardiologists in the South earned $522,094, followed by the Midwest ($479,876), the East ($424,685), and the West ($416,630). Among invasive cardiologists, those in the South were the highest earners at $556,124, followed by the Midwest ($490,060), the East ($441,667), and the West ($404,525), the MGMA said.

For all specialists surveyed, median salary rose 7.7% to $384,467 in 2011, while primary care physicians had a 5.2% increase that brought their income to $212,840. Among nonphysician providers, the median compensation of $102,770 was 6.4% higher than in 2010.

For 2011, the MGMA’s annual compensation and production survey includes data from 62,245 physicians and nonphysician providers in 2,913 group practices.