The Average Salary of an ER Doctor

ER doctors are vital members of a hospital staff.

Emergency room (ER) doctors are the backbones of medical care. Along with emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and ER nurses, ER doctors are responsible for stabilizing and providing prompt assistance to patients suffering from acute illness and trauma. They are highly skilled and are well-compensated for their jobs.

Identification

ER doctors are generally specialists in hospital emergency room care. They must be familiar with a wide variety of illnesses and injuries, since they could see just about anything while on a shift. Other doctors who have privileges to practice or operate in the hospital may also take shifts in addition to the regular staff of ER doctors. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 4 percent of all doctors in the United States were specialized ER doctors in 2009.

Compensation

The salary range for an ER doctor varies widely, according to experience and location. ER doctors in large urban hospitals typically make more, as do those with more experience. According to PayScale, the basic salary for a hospital ER doctor averages between $119,924 and $220,581 as of November 2010. December 2010 salaries range from around $138,000 in smaller cities such as Nashville, Tennessee, to up to $229,892 in a major city like Boston, as per Salary Expert. This does not include any bonuses, benefits or profit-sharing that may also be part of an ER doctor’s compensation package.

Considerations

ER doctors work all hours of the day, taking shift rotations that change every few weeks. They also work holidays and weekends, since emergency rooms are always open and must always have a doctor on site. Since a large number of the patients seen by this doctor are in serious or critical condition and have never been seen by him before, an ER doctor is constantly under pressure to perform to the best of his ability. A mistake could cost someone his or her life.

Function

An ER doctor starts her shift by assessing and familiarizing herself with the cases remaining in the emergency room from the shift before. She must follow up on any tests or treatments performed or recommended by the previous ER doctor. While doing this, she must be ready to look at new patients and handle any critical cases on a moment’s notice. Since the patients and family members who come into the emergency room have serious concerns, an ER doctor must be able to effectively and professionally deal with people under stress. This means that an ER doctor must have a great deal of knowledge on a wide range of medical issues, but also possess excellent people skills.

Education

An ER doctor has a similar educational track as any other physician. A bachelor’s degree in a related field accompanied by excellent grades, along with a passing score on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), are the prerequisites for acceptance into medical school. A few students with only three years of undergraduate education are accepted into medical school, but they are the exception. Medical school admissions are extremely competitive. After four years of medical school, graduates take their state licensure exams before working in a residency for three to eight years. The average residency for an ER doctor is four years.

References

• Salary Expert: ER Doctor Salaries
• Education Portal: Emergency Medicine Doctor: Educational Requirements
• U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics: Physicians and Surgeons

Resources

• CNN Career: ER Doctor: 'Stress? What Stress?'
• American Medical Association: Health Care Careers Directory- Physician