According to the most recent available AAMC data, the average total salary (sometimes called a stipend) for medical residents is $68,166 during Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY-1). Each year, residents receive a predetermined salary increase.
In most programs, all residents at the same PGY level within the same institution are paid the same rate, regardless of medical specialty. These salary rates are determined primarily by cost of living, so the highest-paid residents are typically in larger metropolitan areas.
Other job benefits, such as insurance, transportation benefits, and paid time off, differ by residency program but are offered equally across the institution.
Let’s go through the relevant stats and important factors to consider, like healthcare job benefits to look out for. We may even be able to help you boost your odds during The Match.
Watch our free Residency Specialty Spotlight videos to explore the daily life of residents in various specialties and hear practical advice for navigating the match process in each specialty.
Quick Stats
Here are some quick statistics about salary packages for graduate medical education programs (GMEs):
- The average resident’s salary ranges from around $68,000/year for PGY-1 residents (interns) and around $89,000 for PGY-7 residents. Medical resident salaries increase each year as residents advance through subsequent PGYs.
- Although specialties have a significant impact on salary after residency, most programs pay all residents the same rate regardless of specialty.
- States with large metropolitan areas, such as California and New York, typically offer some of the highest salaries for residents. Adjusted for cost of living, states in the heart of the U.S. (Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska) have the highest “real” salaries because living expenses in those areas are lower.
- The median medical school debt for the class of 2025 is $215,000. With so much student loan debt, financial planning is necessary. While you can defer repayment until after residency, we recommend budgeting monthly payments into your residency salary so that interest doesn’t accrue as quickly.
- Residents earn significantly less than licensed primary care physicians ($270k) and specialists ($360k and up). Therefore, in the long run, you should be able to pay off your medical student loans and afford a comfortable life, even if your residency salary is not in line with your living costs and weekly hours worked.
Residency Salary Increases by PGY
For every year that you’re in residency, your salary typically increases. Below are the salary ranges for each postgraduate year of residency, based on the most recent AAMC data.
| Resident Job Level | Average Annual Salary |
| PGY-1 (Postgraduate Year 1) Residents | $68,166 |
| PGY-2 Residents | $70,499 |
| PGY-3 Residents | $73,301 |
| PGY-4 Residents | $77,593 |
| PGY-5 Residents | $81,807 |
| PGY-6 Residents | $84,744 |
| PGY-7 Residents | $89,187 |
| PGY-8 Residents | $94,215 |
Read Next: How Much Does It Cost to Attend Medical School?
Residency Salary by Region
Because the cost of living is the major determinant for a residency program’s salary rate, the largest disparities in residency salary are by location. Below are the PGY-1 residency salaries by region.
| Region | PGY-1 Average Salary |
| Northeast | $74,994 |
| Southern | $65,076 |
| Central | $68,580 |
| Western | $77,649 |
Applying to Residency? A Guide to Residency Program Signaling (Should You Use Them?)
Chief Resident & Other Increased Resident Salaries
In many cases, chief residents earn a slightly higher salary than the rest of the residents in their program.
Last year, the AAMC found that 71.1% of residency programs pay chief residents a higher stipend than the rest of the residents in the program. The average additional salary amount was $5,071.
The AAMC report also found that 13.5% of residency programs reported paying additional salary to residents other than chief residents. Factors that may lead to a higher monthly stipend for non-chief residents included:
- Prior GME (graduate medical education) experience
- Being a member of faculty
- Being an officer of the residency association
- Holding an H-1B visa
Learn More: Best Scholarships for Medical Education
Additional Benefits
Residency training programs may offer additional benefits, including:
- Educational Benefits: Some programs may help you with the cost of medical conferences, educational seminars, reimbursement for textbooks, and board review courses. A few even help with the cost of state medical exams and licenses.
- Housing Stipend: Especially in areas with a high cost of living, residency programs may provide a housing stipend to help you afford accommodations near the hospital.
- Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance, dental, vision, life insurance, and even malpractice insurance are usually provided to residents.
- Meal Allowance: Most residency programs offer some sort of meal stipend or free meals while on call, especially during long shifts.
- Paid Time Off (PTO): Many residencies offer 2-4 weeks of paid vacation per year, paid sick days, and sometimes paid maternity and paternity leave.
- Retirement Plans: Some programs offer help with retirement savings, such as a 403(b) or 401(k). We recommend looking for programs that do matching contributions.
- Travel Benefits: Some programs, like Columbia’s Residency Program, offer travel benefits in the form of Lyft or Uber credit. You may be able to negotiate travel allowances for away rotations.
- Well-Being Benefits: Medical centers may offer residents mental health and wellness resources.
Ask the program director for more info on any of these potential job benefits.
Related: Categorical vs. Preliminary vs. Advanced Residency Programs
Can Residents Negotiate Salary Increases?
Unlike physicians, residents typically cannot negotiate salary increases. The Match is legally binding, so once you match into a program, you automatically agree to whatever they’re offering. Institutions almost always set standard resident salaries, and you generally don’t have the patient care experience to leverage any bargaining power.
In 2025, a nationwide survey revealed that 20% of medical residents work in a unionized hospital. 63% reported their intent to vote for unionization, while 10% reported their intent to vote no if unionization came up.
If more residents unionize, they’d have more collective bargaining power, potentially leading to more salary increase negotiations. Unions have already helped residents secure higher compensation that reflects the cost of living and inflation, while addressing long work hours and other workplace concerns.
However, hospitals are likely to resist further changes like this, citing budget constraints, which could lead to tougher negotiations and less friendly relations between residents and hospital administrations.
Even if residency unions become more common, individual residents would not have the ability to negotiate their own salary increases or other benefits. All negotiations would apply to every resident union member within those systems.
Read Next: How to Write Your ERAS Personal Statement for Residency
Expectations Post-Residency
How much do doctors make after residency? The average physician salary varies based on specialty, location, and years of experience. Several organizations report different average physician salaries, from under $300,000 (Medscape) to $430,000 (Marit).
In September 2025, the American Medical Association reported the average physician salary at $403,000 (general practitioners and specialists combined), down slightly from their findings the previous year.
The top-paying specializations post-residency include orthopedic surgery ($576k) and gastroenterology ($552k). The lowest-paying specialties are family medicine ($275k) and pediatrics ($258k).
Related Read: Specialties with Good Work-Life Balance and Low Burnout
FAQs
Instead of practicing independently, medical school graduates generally need to go to medical residency for 3-8 years. Medical residency is not a school, so much as it is a full-time job where you learn while you work. Residency programs train you in a specific specialty under the supervision of a fully licensed and practicing physician.
Neurosurgery ($749k), thoracic surgery ($690k), and orthopedic surgery ($680k) are the highest-paid medical specialties, according to Doximity’s most recent report.
Surgery subspecialties are generally the best-paid, while internal medicine and pediatrics specialties are typically the lowest-paid.
While PGY-1 resident pay averages around $70,000, Physician’s Assistant salaries can hover around $130,000.
However, after 3-7 years of training, residents become fully-fledged physicians that make a rough average of $400,000 a year. Read more about PA vs. MD here.
Match Into Your Dream Residency Program
My colleagues and I have helped thousands of students like you achieve their residency goals. Let us help you look for your perfect residency. We aim to make the residency application and interview process stress-free and successful.
Amar Mandalia, MD
Dr. Mandalia is an accomplished medical writer with multiple manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and a practicing GI physician in the Orlando area. He is the Admissions Advisor for MedSchoolCoach and has extensive experience helping students get into medical school and residency.
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