Average Doctor Salary Surpasses 300 Million Won... Government Points to Supply Shortage as Cause

'Doctor Workforce Wage Trends'... 45% Increase Over 6 Years

The average annual salary of doctors surpassed 300 million KRW as of 2022.

According to the government's "Doctor Workforce Wage Trends" data released on the 14th, the average annual salary of 92,570 doctors working in hospitals and clinics in 2022 was 301 million KRW. This data was submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to the Seoul High Court on the 10th and represents the latest official statistics compiled by the government. It analyzed the income of doctors working across all medical institutions, from local clinics to tertiary hospitals, based on data from the National Health Insurance Service. Interns and residents were excluded.

According to this data, the average annual salary of doctors increased from 208 million KRW in 2016 to 301 million KRW in 2022, growing at an average annual rate of 6.4%, a 44.7% increase over six years. The wage increase was particularly notable in clinic-level medical institutions, where most doctors operate private practices. The annual salary of doctors at tertiary hospitals, responsible for severe and emergency care, rose from 158 million KRW in 2016 to 201 million KRW in 2022, an average annual increase of 4.1%. During the same period, doctors working at clinic-level medical institutions saw their salaries rise from 214 million KRW to 345 million KRW, an average annual increase of 8.3%.

Among private practitioners, ophthalmologists earned the highest annual salary at 615 million KRW, followed by orthopedic surgeons at 471 million KRW, otolaryngologists at 413 million KRW, and anesthesiologists at 391 million KRW.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare pointed out, "Due to a shortage in the supply of doctors, doctors' wages are rising significantly," adding, "Because of the insufficient supply of doctors, labor costs for doctors in non-essential medical markets are increasing, and regional medical centers are struggling with recruitment difficulties." Furthermore, the ministry stated, "Even if the number of doctors increases by 10,000 by 2035, the number of doctors per 1,000 people will only increase slightly from 2.1 to 2.3, which is still below the OECD average of 3.7. (An increase of 2,000 doctors) cannot be considered a large number given our current shortage of doctors and the anticipated growing medical service gaps."