Ob-GYN pay averages $278,660 a year per BLS; top states like Washington often top $350,000.
People ask this a lot when planning med school, residency, or a career move. Here’s a clear look at pay, what drives it, and where numbers land right now. You’ll see national figures, state standouts, and how practice setting shifts the range. We’ll also answer the exact search: how much money do ob-gyns make a year, using current government data and large national surveys.
How Much Money Do OB-GYNs Make A Year: National Snapshot
Two data sets anchor the answer. Government wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) gives a clean baseline across employers. Large specialty surveys add color on contracts and trends. The BLS shows a national mean annual wage of $278,660 and a mean hourly wage of $133.97 for obstetricians and gynecologists (survey year May 2023). You can scan the BLS OB-GYN wage table for the full breakdown.
| Metric | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mean Annual Wage | $278,660 | BLS OEWS |
| Mean Hourly Wage | $133.97 | BLS OEWS |
| Employment, U.S. | 19,820 physicians | BLS OEWS |
| 10th Percentile (Annual) | $89,850 | BLS OEWS |
| 25th Percentile (Annual) | $186,290 | BLS OEWS |
| Mean In Offices Of Physicians | $288,180 | BLS OEWS |
| Mean In General Hospitals | $260,540 | BLS OEWS |
| Top State Mean (Washington) | $364,060 | BLS OEWS |
Survey work from Doximity tracks compensation movements across specialties. It shows a broad pay rise for doctors in 2023, a rebound after a dip in 2022. While the report groups all specialties for the change figure, the takeaway for ob-gyn pay is simple: contracts moved up again in 2023, and location still matters a lot. See the summary charts in the Doximity 2024 compensation report.
What Shapes An OB-GYN Salary
Pay reflects revenue streams, coverage duties, and local supply. The same title can mean very different days. Here are the levers that move the number:
Practice Setting And Revenue Mix
Clinic-heavy weeks lean on visits and procedures. Labor and delivery coverage adds call pay and facility work. Hospital-employed roles may trade top-end pay for steadier schedules, richer benefits, or loan packages. Private groups can hit higher peaks when payer mix and surgical volume line up.
Region And Market Size
States with fewer physicians per capita often post higher offers to fill coverage. BLS state tables show wide spreads, with Washington, Connecticut, and Colorado showing means in the mid-$300k range, while some large coastal metros sit lower once you factor in cost of living.
Scope Of Practice
High-volume surgeons with complex gyn cases tend to land higher ranges than lower-volume, clinic-only schedules. Hospital leadership roles, quality stipends, and medical director work add stacked income on top of base pay.
Experience And Call
New grads step in lower while they build panels. Heavy call or 24-hour in-house shifts usually raise the total. Laborist models often pay a set rate per shift, which can pencil out well in busy centers.
OB-GYN Earnings By Setting And State Highlights
The BLS profile breaks out mean wages by industry and lists the highest paying states. That makes it easier to compare an offer with broad market numbers. Here’s a quick read you can use during contract talks or when deciding where to move next.
Top-Paying States For OB-GYNs
| State | Mean Annual Wage | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $364,060 | High mean across Seattle-area systems |
| Connecticut | $353,750 | Strong pay in hospital and group settings |
| Colorado | $353,190 | Denver shows higher metro means |
| North Dakota | $349,380 | Small market, higher location pay |
| Indiana | $331,870 | Stable demand across systems |
Industry Settings And Typical Pay
Outpatient clinics and physician offices top the industry list for mean pay, with general hospitals a bit lower on average. Academic roles can run lower in cash pay but add protected time, teaching, and research support. When you scan offers, line them up against the industry means above, then weigh call, benefits, and growth runway.
Earning Timeline: Training To Attending
Residency brings a stipend, not a market salary. Once board-eligible, first-year offers swing with geography and call. A new ob-gyn in a mid-sized city may see a base in the high $200s with bonuses and loan help on top. A pure laborist model can stack income fast with extra shifts. Urban clinics can run lower on salary but bring lighter call and strong benefits. Rural systems may lead with hefty sign-ons to win coverage.
How Offers Break Down In Real Life
Base pay is only one part of the picture. Many contracts mix salary or draw with wRVU or collections bonuses. On-call rates, shift stipends, and quality bonuses fill in the rest. Relocation, sign-on, and loan help can swing the first-year total by tens of thousands. The right structure depends on your mix of clinic, OR, and L&D coverage.
Common Building Blocks
- Base pay: fixed salary or a guaranteed draw for a set term.
- Productivity bonuses: wRVU tiers or net collections with clear thresholds.
- Call pay: nightly or 24-hour rates; higher for in-house models.
- Shift pay: laborist programs that pay per shift.
- Quality incentives: metrics tied to outcomes, C-section rates, and patient access.
- Benefits: retirement match, CME funds, tail coverage, and disability insurance.
- One-time items: sign-on, retention, relocation, and loan repayment.
Reading A Contract Offer
Ask how the group credits deliveries, assists, and OR time. Confirm who bills for ultrasound, colposcopy, and minor procedures. Clarify who pays malpractice tail on exit and how call evens out across partners. If there’s a productivity model, get sample statements that show how RVUs convert to payout. This step protects your upside and keeps surprises off your first paychecks.
Cost Of Living And Take-Home Pay
Raw salary misses rent, childcare, and taxes. A $330k offer in a high-cost metro can land behind a $300k role in a lower-cost city. When comparing, plug offers into a cost-of-living tool and run a first-year budget with your actual loans, childcare, and call pay. The Doximity report shows large swings by metro once you adjust for living costs, with several Midwest and South cities stretching pay the furthest. You can scan those metro lists in the same 2024 physician compensation report.
Benefits And Time Off
Paid time off, short-term disability, and paid parental leave shape quality of life. So do clinic MA ratios, ultrasound access, and block time. These items have cash value. Tally them alongside salary when you decide between offers. A slightly lower base with a steady OR block and sane call can out-earn a taller base that keeps you out of the OR or ties up nights.
Raising Your Number
Small changes add up during talks. These moves tend to shift the total in a durable way:
- Pair base pay asks with a clean wRVU floor and a fair conversion factor.
- Trade extra clinic sessions for scheduled OR time if you carry a surgical backlog.
- Pick call rules that cap in-house nights or pay a premium for them.
- Bundle CME, relocation, and tail coverage into the written offer.
- Line up a start date that protects your moving window and board exam plan.
Gender Pay Gap Notes
Large national surveys keep tracking a gap across the physician workforce. Doximity’s latest report shows a wide delta across many specialties. Pay structure, part-time status, and leadership roles all play into it. Clear, written compensation steps and transparent RVU ladders help close gaps inside a group.
Bottom Line On OB-GYN Pay
The national mean sits at $278,660, with many offers clustering on both sides of that line. Top states cross $350k on average. Strong call pay, shift models, and surgical volume can push totals well north of that. We’ve used current BLS data and large-scale survey trends so you can answer the question that brought you here: how much money do ob-gyns make a year, and what moves the number in your favor.
Method And Sources
This page blends the BLS occupational wage tables with large specialty survey trends. For the baseline figures, see the BLS page for obstetricians and gynecologists. For trend context by metro and specialty, see the Doximity physician compensation report. Both links open in a new tab.