Nephrology Salary
Nephrology income has a distinctive structure. Dialysis rounding and medical directorship stipends sit on top of clinic and consult wRVUs, and those directorships are often what move a nephrologist into the top tier.
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, Nephrology
We display a live Nephrology 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 anonymouslyNephrology 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 | $310,000 | Doximity 2024 / Medscape 2024 nationwide median. |
| South | $341,000 | Highest absolute compensation. Houston, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Atlanta lead. |
| Midwest | $334,800 | Indianapolis and St. Louis often top Doximity median tables. |
| West | $316,200 | Wide spread. California pays well but is offset by cost of living. |
| Northeast | $300,700 | 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 Nephrology compensation
- Dialysis patient census and rounding volume, a steady recurring wRVU base.
- Medical directorship stipends at dialysis facilities, frequently the largest income differentiator.
- Inpatient consult volume, which is demanding but production-rich.
- Practice model and the number of facilities a physician covers.
Model your own number, not the median
Nephrology reports a median of about 6,500 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
- •Treat directorship opportunities as a core part of the offer, not an afterthought, since they often define the ceiling.
- •Confirm dialysis census and travel between units, which affects both income and time.
- •Clarify how inpatient consults credit relative to outpatient and dialysis work.
Nephrology at a glance
Pay can rise materially with dialysis center medical directorships. Typical setting: dialysis rounds + inpatient consults + clinic.
Frequently asked questions
What separates a top-earning nephrologist?
Medical directorships. Dialysis facility directorship stipends sit on top of clinical wRVUs and are usually the largest differentiator between median and top-tier nephrology income.
Is dialysis rounding income stable?
It is relatively steady because the census is recurring, which gives nephrology a more predictable base than purely visit-driven specialties.
How demanding is the consult load?
Inpatient nephrology consults are heavy but production-rich. The negotiation question is how those consults credit relative to dialysis and clinic work.
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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.