Infectious Disease Salary
Infectious disease sits at the lower end of internal medicine subspecialty pay because it is consult-heavy and almost entirely non-procedural. Directorship and stewardship roles are the realistic levers for moving above the median.
Median total cash compensation for a mid-career attending. Source: Medscape 2024 (publicly cited). Treat figures as medians, not targets. Real compensation varies widely by geography, employment model, and experience.
Live anonymous cohort, Infectious Disease
We display a live Infectious Disease cohort once at least 10 attendings have submitted in the last 24 months. Until then, the published benchmark and regional table below are your reference. Be one of the first to seed it.
Submit your comp anonymouslyInfectious Disease pay by region
Directional regional medians, anchored to the Medscape 2024 national figure and US Census region adjustments. The South and Midwest pay more in absolute dollars because physician supply is lower and demand is higher; the Northeast runs lower with a higher cost of living.
| Region | Median total comp | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| National median | $260,000 | Doximity 2024 / Medscape 2024 nationwide median. |
| South | $286,000 | Highest absolute compensation. Houston, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Atlanta lead. |
| Midwest | $280,800 | Indianapolis and St. Louis often top Doximity median tables. |
| West | $265,200 | Wide spread. California pays well but is offset by cost of living. |
| Northeast | $252,200 | Lower in absolute terms (high supply of physicians) and higher cost of living. |
Regional figures are modeled adjustments to the national median, not separately surveyed values. Use them for direction, not as an offer benchmark.
What drives Infectious Disease compensation
- Inpatient consult volume, the core wRVU source in a non-procedural specialty.
- Stewardship, OPAT, and infection-control directorship stipends that add income outside visit production.
- Outpatient HIV and OPAT clinic panels with associated care-management revenue.
- Academic and public health pathways, which trade ceiling for mission and stability.
Model your own number, not the median
Infectious Disease reports a median of about 4,500 wRVUs a year. Your take-home is that volume times your contract rate, above your threshold. Plug your real visit mix into the calculator and see the bonus your specific offer produces, then negotiate against it.
Negotiation levers at offer time
- •Pursue stewardship or directorship roles deliberately, since they are the main path above the clinical median.
- •Confirm consult crediting and expected volume, the primary income determinant.
- •If considering academics, weigh the lower ceiling against schedule and mission honestly.
Infectious Disease at a glance
Lowest comp among IM subs. Strong academic and public-health pathways. Typical setting: inpatient consults + outpatient hiv / opat clinics.
Frequently asked questions
Why does infectious disease pay less than other IM subspecialties?
It is consult-driven and non-procedural, so income depends on cognitive volume without high-wRVU procedures. Directorship and stewardship roles are the realistic levers above the median.
How can an ID physician raise income?
Stewardship, OPAT, and infection-control directorship stipends add income outside visit production and are the most reliable way to move above the clinical median.
Is academic infectious disease financially viable?
It is stable and mission-aligned but carries a lower ceiling than private consult-heavy roles, a trade that should be made with eyes open.
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The codes that actually drive this specialty's wRVUs.
30-year cumulative earnings with regional cost adjustment.
Educational reference, not financial, billing, or legal advice. Published medians are publicly cited from Medscape 2024. The live cohort is self-reported and anonymized; individual rows are never exposed and a cohort is shown only at a minimum size. Verify any number against your own contract and market before acting on it.