Where to find publicly listed salaries as a job-hunting resident

As a resident, you’re no stranger to research. You likely spent more than a few minutes learning about different residency programs, which, according to a 2018 article published by the AMA, pay a starting average salary of $52,000 in the US.^[]

As you near the end of this chapter of training, it’s time to start thinking about your first post-residency job—and what kind of pay you can expect.

Job-hunting online

So, residency is winding down, and the job hunt is picking up. How can you find specific salary information at any given institution?

The answer depends on where you’re looking.

Some institutions, such as the University of California (UC), offer a searchable database of payroll data “as part of its commitment to transparency and public accountability,” according to their website.^[]

UC’s employee pay database allows you to identify individual UC employee pay information, or a group of employees who may share the same title. You may search by inputting names (first and/or last), calendar year, job title, and gross pay range. UC also publishes its employee data for each calendar year. The 2021 report, which includes a summary of payroll data, can be found here.

Another way to search for public payroll information in California is through a searchable database known as Transparent California, which allows you to see salary records by agency type (cities, counties, university systems, etc.) as well as pension records. 

What about other institutions that may not make it so easy to locate their employee payroll information?

The Asbury Park Press, for example, houses Data Universe.^[] Similar to Transparent California, Data Universe allows you to search public employee salaries in the state of New Jersey, including those at Rutgers University.

Using this tool, you can easily locate what an MD and an associate professor earned at a specific campus in 2021.

For example, Ira Goldstein, MD, associate professor of clinical neurosurgery, earned a total of $1,632,060 at the Newark campus at Rutgers in 2021. Boris Paskhover, MD, associate professor of clinical otolaryngology earned $1,569,890 at the same campus in the same year.

In addition to salary, there are a few other important boxes to check when searching for that first position out of residency.

According to a 2021 article published by the AMA,^[] residents who are applying to jobs should look for the following:

Institutional support

When interviewing for jobs, be sure to ask about how each institution may support you. For example, are you in charge of your own marketing? How does the referral process work?

These are questions that Brandi Ring, MD, OB/GYN, associate medical director of the Center for Children and Women Southwest in Houston, encourages residents to ask their potential employers.

“It takes a year or two to figure out how you are getting paid and why you are getting paid what you are getting paid,” Dr. Ring told the AMA. “If there’s no support, nothing will ever change and you’ll never be able to get that information.”

Finding a mentor 

On top of institutional support, as a new doctor, you may need a bit of one-on-one guidance from someone who’s been in your shoes.

“One of the most important things is a mentor at your primary practice location, someone you feel comfortable going to with the stupidest question you can imagine,” Dr. Ring told the AMA.

Be sure to look for a mentor figure in the interview process—someone who would, if need be, step into the exam room to be an extra set of eyes.

Career trajectory

“I tell residents when they are starting to look for their first job that they should write up a cover letter that tells their employer who they are, where they want to be in 5 years, where they want to be in 10 years, and what their life is going to look like,” Dr. Ring said.

If you and your employer are on the same page about what you want down the line, you can make decisions now that better support those dreams.

Life-plan compatibility

Lastly, does this job support a healthy, fulfilling life outside of the exam room? You may want to consider how much time you expect to spend with family in the off-hours, according to Dr. Ring.

“If you have those family commitments and you’ve thought about them prior to accepting a job, it’s easier to negotiate in child care, dependent care and what you are looking at in your benefit package,” Dr. Ring told the AMA.