Do you get paid while being a resident?

Yes, medical residents are paid a salary, not an hourly wage, as they are considered employees in accredited programs, but the pay is often low relative to the long hours, increasing with each year (PGY level) and varying by institution, with averages around $60,000-$75,000+ annually in 2025, plus benefits like health insurance, though many feel it doesn't keep up with expenses or workload.

Do you get paid while in residency?

Yes, medical residents get paid a salary (or stipend) for their work during residency, but it's significantly less than fully licensed physicians, typically starting around $60,000-$70,000 for first-year interns, with annual increases as they progress through training. This income supports living expenses while they complete their graduate medical education, with pay varying by location, hospital, and year of training (PGY level).
 

Do you get paid while you are a resident?

It's a long and expensive journey to become a doctor. But after paying exorbitant tuition rates and likely racking up astronomical debt during medical school, you (hopefully!) become a resident. And that means you actually get paid.

Do you get paid when you're a resident?

Residents are paid standardized salaries based on the institution where they work, regardless of specialty. This means that no residency specialty is paid more than another within the same residency program (in other words, all residents in the same PGY at the same institution are paid at the same rate).

Are residents paid monthly?

A resident stipend is a payment offered by a future employer to a physician trainee, usually distributed to the physician in monthly installments. In exchange, the physician agrees to work for the employer once they have completed training.

How Much Do Resident Doctors Make?💸 Per Hour Breakdown!⏱️

How much do 2 year residents make?

Second-year (PGY-2) medical residents typically earn between $60,000 to over $90,000 annually, with averages often landing in the $60,000s to $70,000s, depending heavily on the institution, location (e.g., high-cost-of-living areas pay more), and specialty, with salaries increasing each year of training. 

What doctor makes $500,000 a year?

Doctors in surgical and high-demand procedural specialties frequently earn over $500,000 annually, with top earners often being Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Cardiology, and Thoracic Surgery, driven by complex skills, high demand (especially with aging populations), and lucrative elective procedures or emergency needs. Other fields like Radiology, Gastroenterology, Urology, and Anesthesiology also see average incomes exceeding this threshold.
 

How much do you make in your first year of residency?

First-year medical residents (PGY-1) typically make between $58,000 and $70,000 annually, with averages often cited in the mid-$60,000s, though exact figures vary significantly by specialty, location, and institution. Salaries increase each year, with some specialties like Surgery or Dermatology paying more, while Family Medicine might pay less, and location (city vs. rural) also influences the amount. 

Is residency harder than med school?

Yes, residency is generally considered harder than medical school, but in a different way; medical school is academically intense with exams, while residency trades academic pressure for real-world responsibility, longer hours, physical exhaustion, critical patient-care decisions, and emotional stress, though it's where you truly become a doctor. Residency shifts focus from book learning to hands-on, high-stakes clinical practice, often involving 80+ hour weeks, overnight calls, and constant responsibility for patients' lives, making it more draining on stamina and time. 

Do residents get benefits?

Frequent benefits for residents

The benefits most commonly provided to residents included: Paid maternity leave—offered at 100% of residency programs in the study. Paid paternity leave—98.7%. Long-term disability insurance—90.1%.

Which residency pays the most?

The highest-paying residency programs generally fall into surgical and specialized fields, with Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, and Plastic Surgery often leading in potential post-residency income, though resident stipends themselves are similar across programs, with variations based on PGY level and location, not specialty; specialties like Cardiology, Dermatology, and Radiology also rank high in future earning potential. 

Do residents get overtime?

That said, although the resolution to this problem may seem simple, per the AAMC, medical residents are exempt from the FLSA due to the “learned professional exemption,” and therefore not subject to the FLSA requirements regarding overtime pay and minimum wage.

How do you make money while in residency?

Whether you're looking to make a lot or a little, these eleven moonlighting jobs are ideal for residents with medical training:

1. Tutor. ...
2. Create Study Exams. ...
3. Create an Online Course. ...
4. Work as a Medical Transcriptionist. ...
5. Freelance as a Medical Writer or Editor. ...
6. Become a Career Coach. ...
7. Provide Clinical Care at an Urgent Care Center.

What happens after 3 years of residency?

Residency comes first, and the length of the program varies with specialty; the shortest are 3 years and the longest are 7 years. After your residency training, you may choose to further sub-specialize by completing fellowships usually lasting 1-3 additional years.

Is residency pay good?

The average resident salary is around $64,000 per year. Residents earn significantly less than licensed primary care physicians ($243,000) and specialists ($346,000). Resident salaries rise each year of training, with an additional $2,000-$5,000 for each subsequent year.

What are the hardest residencies?

What are some of the Hardest Residency Specialties to Match?

• Cardiothoracic Surgery.
• Vascular Surgery.
• Dermatology.
• General Surgery.
• Neurosurgery.
• Orthopedic Surgery.
• Ophthalmology.
• Otolaryngology (ENT)

Do residents work 7 days a week?

These limitations mean residents can work no more than 80 hours per week, no more than 24 consecutive hours on duty, cannot be on-call more than every third night, and should have one day off per week.

Can a resident call themselves a doctor?

The answer is generally “no,” as the ability to use the title is tied to being licensed by the medical board1.

What doctor has the easiest residency?

Some medical specialties, like family medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics are less competitive, with more residency slots available, making them easier to get into. Specialties like orthopedics and plastic surgery are very competitive because of the rigorous requirements and limited number of residency spots.

How long is a doctor a resident?

Recent graduates of an MD program often go on to work in a residency program in order to enhance their knowledge and skills, and to meet independent licensing requirements. A residency program can last from 3-7 years, depending on the specialty chosen.

What happens after residency?

TLDR; What comes after residency for physicians is application for a medical license, board certification, a fellowship in some cases, and career exploration (including locum tenens roles). You've done it – congratulations! Completing your medical residency is cause for celebration.

What is the lowest paid doctor?

The lowest-paid doctor specialties consistently fall in primary care and certain pediatric subspecialties, with Pediatrics often cited as the lowest overall, followed by Public Health/Preventive Medicine, Family Medicine, and pediatric subspecialties like Endocrinology, Rheumatology, and Infectious Diseases. These roles offer lower compensation than surgical or high-demand adult specialties, often due to the broad nature of primary care and the focus on children's health, though they provide excellent work-life balance for many.
 

What jobs in the US pay $300,000 a year?

Jobs paying $300,000 or more in the U.S. are concentrated in medicine, finance, law, and high-level tech/executive roles, including specialist doctors (surgeons, anesthesiologists), C-suite executives, investment bankers, partners in big law firms, senior tech leaders (VPs/Directors of Engineering), management consultants (Partners), private equity executives, and top-tier sales directors, often involving significant bonuses, commissions, or profit-sharing. Some roles, like senior airline pilots or successful entrepreneurs/tradespeople, can also reach this level without traditional degrees. 

Is the average doctor a millionaire?

One-quarter of doctors in their 60s are not even millionaires. The chart from the prior year was even more stunning, as it showed 11%-12% of doctors in their 60s didn't even have a net worth over $500,000, and only 48% of doctors over 65 were multi-millionaires.