Cardiology compensation rankings vary by geographic region

The location of a cardiologist or cardiology practice appears to have an effect on salary, according to the 2013 American Medical Group Association Compensation and Financial Survey.

The survey, which was sent to more than 2,700 medical groups and was completed by 280, encompasses results from 67,900 providers.

In this list, Cardiology Today ranks cardiologist compensation by four US regions — East, West, North and South.

For purposes of the report, “compensation” refers to the total annual compensation for each physician from each specialty. Clinical compensation includes base and variable compensation, as well as voluntary salary reduction, additional bonuses or incentives, according to the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) report.

1. Eastern Region

The eastern region of the United States, as defined by the AMGA report, includes Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. The median compensation for cardiologists in these states was reported as $356,554.

2. Western Region

Cardiologists might be inspired to “go west” based on the $421,985 annual median compensation for cardiologists in this region. The AMGA report defines western states as Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

3. Northern Region

Despite colder climates, cardiologists in the northern states can find comfort in their comparatively high compensation, which is an annual median of $434,170. States classified as “northern” in the report include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

4. Southern Region

According to the AMGA report, cardiologists who practice in the southern region of the United States have the highest annual median compensation at $509,590. Southern states in this report include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.