National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
Compare a different job:
VS
QUICK ANSWER
Doctors earn a national median of $236,000/year vs Plumbers at $61,550/year. Doctors earn 74% more nationally. The gap is $174,450 per year — or $14,538 per month.
Built by Pierre — MBA, Business Strategist & AI Consultant, Founder of DayblipAbout the author →
Doctor
$236,000
national median/year
$19,667/mo • $113/hr
VS
Plumber
$61,550
national median/year
$5,129/mo • $30/hr
Annual salary gap
$174,450
Doctors earn 74% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $1,977,442.
Best states for Plumbers
vs Doctors
Hawaii+$-156,000
North Dakota+$-158,000
Arkansas+$-162,000
Iowa+$-162,000
Nevada+$-162,000
Best states for Doctors
vs Plumbers
Maryland+$184,000
Massachusetts+$182,000
Texas+$182,000
North Carolina+$180,000
Virginia+$180,000
Share Your Result
Surprised by this number? Share it with friends and family
Doctors earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Doctors is $236,000 versus $61,550 for Plumbers — a difference of $174,450 per year or $14,538 per month.
The national median salary gap between Doctors and Plumbers is $174,450 per year. Doctors earn 74% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $1,977,442.
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, Alaska pays Plumbers the highest median salary at $82,320 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 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 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 Plumbers earn approximately $30 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.
