Doctors are typically paid on the same schedule as the office staff, which is usually twice a month or every two weeks. The amount a doctor makes each paycheck varies by education, experience, practice, number of patients and specialty. It takes at least four years of education beyond a bachelor's degree plus years in residency to become a doctor.
Average Salary
According to PayScale, the average salary for a family doctor in 2011 was $141,109. If the doctor is paid twice a month, that comes out to about $5,879.54 per paycheck before taxes and deductions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated a median salary of $186,044 for general doctors in 2008. That equates to $7,751.83 per check if the doctor is paid twice a month.
Salary by Doctor Type
Salaries range based on specialty. For example, according to PayScale, internal medicine doctors earn $146,183 per year in 2011, or $6,090.96 per check when paid twice a month. Emergency room doctors earn $181,350 a year on average, or $7,556.25 per check when paid twice a month. Neurologists earn $162,911 a year, or $6,787.96 per check; while plastic surgeons earn $203,555 per year, or $8,481.46 per check.
Salary by Experience
According to PayScale, a doctor's experience affects his paycheck. For example, doctors with less than one year of experience earn an average salary of $129,663 a year, or $5,402.63 per check when paid twice a month. Doctors with one to four years of experience earn $141,462 a year on average, or $5,894.25 per check. Doctors with five to nine years of experience earn $153,747 a year, while those with 10 to 19 years of experience earn $158,390 a year on average, which calculates to $6,406.13 and $6,599.59 per check, respectively. Doctors with 20 or more years of experience earn $171,968 per year on average, or $7,165.34 per check.
Salary by State
The state where a doctor practices also impacts how much he is paid per paycheck. For example, according to PayScale, in 2011, doctors in California were paid $153,356 on average per year, or $6,389.83 per check when paid twice monthly. Doctors in New York earned $149,699, or $6,237.46 per check, while doctors in Texas earned $152,589, or $6,357.88 per check. Doctors in Illinois earned $149,023 per year on average, or $6,209.29 per check, while doctors in Florida earned $150,926 per year, or $6,288.58 per check.
