National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Doctors earn a national median of $236,000/year vs Lawyers at $145,760/year. Doctors earn 38% more nationally. The gap is $90,240 per year — or $7,520 per month.
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Doctor
$236,000
national median/year
$19,667/mo • $113/hr
VS
Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
Annual salary gap
$90,240
Doctors earn 38% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $1,022,897.
Best states for Lawyers
vs Doctors
New York+$-64,000
California+$-74,000
Illinois+$-90,000
Massachusetts+$-90,000
Texas+$-90,000
Best states for Doctors
vs Lawyers
Alaska+$130,000
South Dakota+$130,000
Hawaii+$120,000
Mississippi+$120,000
Montana+$120,000
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Doctors earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Doctors is $236,000 versus $145,760 for Lawyers — a difference of $90,240 per year or $7,520 per month.
The national median salary gap between Doctors and Lawyers is $90,240 per year. Doctors earn 38% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $1,022,897.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Massachusetts pays Doctors the highest median salary at $258,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, New York pays Lawyers the highest median salary at $188,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Doctors earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Physicians and Surgeons and Lawyers both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Doctors earn approximately $113 per hour nationally and Lawyers earn approximately $70 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
