Which province's doctors earn the most? Which specialties are most lucrative?

The following data on physicians' gross income is from the latest iteration of the Canadian Institute for Health Information's National Physician Database.

Average Gross Fee-for-Service Payment per Family Medicine Specialist Who Received at Least $60,000 in Payments by Province, 2007–2008
NATIONAL AVERAGE: $225,521
1. PEI: $307,655
2. AB: $267,443
3. SK: $262,532
4. MB: $236,395
5. ON: $235,087
6. BC: $232,683
7. NB: $226,437
8. NL: $214,917
9. NS: $201,107
10. QC: $176,552

Average Gross Fee-for-Service Payment per Other Specialist Who Received at Least $60,000 in Payments by Province, 2007–2008
NATIONAL AVERAGE: $311,171
1. SK: $393,990
2. AB: $382,478
3. NL: $359,981
4. NB: $348,594
5. ON: $345,070
6. NS: $315,460
7. BC: $308,061
8. MB: $285,755
9. PEI: $282,774
10. QC: $220,607

Average Gross Fee-for-Service Payment per Physician Who Received at Least $60,000 in Payments by Physician Specialty (all provinces), 2007–2008
1. Ophthalmology: $544,675
2. Thoracic/cardiovascular surgery: $439,085
3. Urology: $381,634
4. Otolaryngology: $360,170
5. Obstetrics/gynecology: $359,239
6. General surgery: $345,015
7. Neurosurgery: $339,241
8. Orthopedic surgery: $338,693
9. Dermatology: $334,367
10. Internal medicine: $329,849
11. Plastic surgery: $302,370
12. Anesthesia: $284,356
13. Neurology: $250,131
14. Pediatrics: $231,441
15. Family medicine: $225,521
16. Physical medicine: $210,106
17. Psychiatry: $190,163

A few quick observations:

• PEI GPs rank first in the nation in gross income, but PEI specialists come in nearly last.
• Quebec GPs and specialists earn less than their counterparts in every other province, and Quebec is the only province whose GPs and specialists both earn less than the national average.
• Alberta and Saskatchewan GPs and specialists both rank near the top of the country in income.
• The average Canadian ophthalmologist earns nearly as much as three psychiatrists.
• Keep in mind that these are gross incomes and some specialists' overhead is much, much more expensive than that of most GPs or psychiatrists, for instance.

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