A recent survey from Merritt Hawkins, a health care recruiting agency based in Dallas, recently reported that family physicians are in high demand and their salaries continue to rise quickly.
This is the 10th consecutive year that family medicine has been listed as the most recruited field for the health industry.
"Demand for primary care physicians remains particularly strong, as they are seen as the keys to achieving quality and cost objectives necessary under emerging team and population health-based delivery models," according to the report.
The average primary care and other specialty salaries have climbed 13 percent in year-over-year figures. This number includes family medicine: now, family physicians make approximately $225,000 each year, with some even earning $340,000 each year.
Experts believe that the increasing salaries are linked to the high demand for family physicians as well as the health industry’s transition from a volume payment system to a value payment system.
"While hospitals remain a key driver of physician recruitment, other settings, such as physician-owned medical groups, federally qualified health centers, academic medical centers and urgent care centers have increased their recruiting activities, creating a more diverse market for physicians," according to the report.
The report used data from 3,342 recruiting assignments between April 1 and March 31 this year. The survey measured and tracked salaries and similar incentives.
