Income as a doctor

The medical profession offers several areas that appeal to those interested in medicine. For some, it's saving lives and understanding the human body, for others it's the generous salary. However, very few people actually know exactly how much a doctor earns. There are many influencing factors that determine the salary and this can also vary greatly between doctors. Firstly, the length of service plays an important role. The region is also a major factor. One example of this is Vienna and BratislavaThese two cities are only 80 kilometres apart, but the salary differences are huge.

Which doctor earns how much?

A doctor who has completed a six-year medical degree then becomes a junior doctor, where they receive an average gross salary of 3,000 euros. As a medical specialist, the average gross salary is 5,500 euros per month. However, the salary varies greatly from person to person, also due to the different areas in which the doctor specialises. A general practitioner earns an average of 3,500 euros per month, whereas a specialist in neurology can earn 5,500 euros. As mentioned earlier, the length of service also plays a decisive role. When starting out in a practice, you can expect to earn 3,000 euros per month and a senior consultant who has been working in the hospital for a long time can also reach a salary of 9,000 euros. However, the salary of many doctors is very opaque and depends on many other factors. For example, doctors can receive holiday bonuses and special payments for night shifts. This is because urgent emergencies occur around the clock and hospitals must always be prepared for such emergencies.

It depends on the "where" and "how"

Referring back to the region, which also plays an important role, I would like to mention the example of Vienna-Bratislava. An assistant doctor in Vienna earns an average of 6,440 euros. In Bratislava, on the other hand, a specialist doctor only earns 2,150 euros. As a final example, I would like to mention Switzerland, where the average salary of a doctor is 200,000 euros per year, which is 33 % higher than in Austria and Germany.

Furthermore, a doctor can open his/her own practice and thus become self-employed. There, the salary is no longer visible, as each doctor makes individual times and prices. Many doctors are also partly employed by the hospital and partly have their own practice in order to be able to utilise both advantages.

To summarise, anyone who decides to become a doctor must first invest a lot in training and gaining experience. In return, doctors can expect an above-average salary compared to other professions right from the start. What happens afterwards in terms of salary depends largely on the chosen path and the circumstances.