Sports medicine is concerned with physical fitness, treatment, and prevention of illnesses and injuries related to professional sports and exercise. Doctors and physicians in this field also provide rehabilitation services to injured athletes.
In addition to treating professional sportsmen, sports medicine physicians also provide services to people who obtain injuries while exercising or playing sports.
This medical field is quickly becoming popular as individuals focus more on health and fitness. More than 9,173 sports medicine specialists are regularly working in the USA. Despite belonging to a similar field, some sports medical workers earn more than other workers in the same field.
So before stepping into this field, learn the average salary you can earn and which factors will impact your final salary package.
What Is the Average Salary of Sports Medicine Physicians?
According to recent data, an average sports medicine physician can earn up to $249,738 in median yearly salary. However, the salary range starts from $213,164 and ends at $317,659. Your final earnings will depend on certain factors discussed in the next part of the article.
Which Factors Determine the Salary of a Sports Medicine Physician?
The main factors that play an important role in determining your final annual earnings are:
Gender
In the USA, 25.5% of medicine sports physicians are females, earning up to $164,268 annually. Meanwhile, 74.5% of physicians in this field are males, with a salary of about $204,073. One reason behind this income discrepancy is that female health workers tend to check and treat fewer patients than male workers. Moreover, most of these differences start with the initial contract because women are offered less income in their first contract than men.
Demand
The demand for a healthcare professional directly impacts the final income package. For example, highly demanded medical personnel, such as cardiologists, are one of the top earners in the healthcare department. This means the more a career field is in demand, the higher your chances of earning.
Fortunately, the demand for sports medicine physicians is expected to increase in the upcoming years, and there will be approximately 72,500 new job openings by the end of 2029. In short, sports medicine is expected to grow by 2.15% each year. So, there is a high chance of the income rate rising along with it.
Practice Location
Your salary package also depends on the state and city you practice in. Check the table below to find how much you can earn based on your working location.
| State | Annual Income |
| New York | $198,153 |
| New Hampshire | $185,683 |
| Vermont | $180,811 |
| Wyoming | $173,094 |
| Massachusetts | $172,955 |
| Arizona | $172,591 |
| Hawaii | $172,124 |
| Tennessee | $171,902 |
| Nevada | $170,541 |
| Washington | $169,170 |
| Montana | $168,245 |
| Indiana | $167,484 |
| West Virginia | $166,805 |
| New Jersey | $166,693 |
| Connecticut | $166,636 |
| Rhode Island | $165,331 |
| Minnesota | $165,183 |
| Alaska | $164,213 |
| Oregon | $163,128 |
| Pennsylvania | $161,594 |
| North Dakota | $160,011 |
| Maryland | $159,354 |
| Wisconsin | $156,993 |
| Ohio | $155,729 |
| Virginia | $154,961 |
| Idaho | $154,569 |
| California | $153,624 |
| Iowa | $153,189 |
| South Dakota | $150,976 |
| Alabama | $150,867 |
| Nebraska | $150,516 |
| Colorado | $150,192 |
| Utah | $150,122 |
| Kentucky | $150,027 |
| New Mexico | $149,511 |
| Delaware | $149,414 |
| South Carolina | $147,627 |
| Florida | $147,387 |
| Maine | $146,240 |
| Kansas | $146,157 |
| Arkansas | $144,182 |
| Oklahoma | $142,942 |
| Mississippi | $142,761 |
| Michigan | $140,904 |
| Georgia | $138,895 |
| Missouri | $137,913 |
| Texas | $137,375 |
| Illinois | $135,876 |
| Louisiana | $131,767 |
| North Carolina | $123,572 |
Wrapping Up
You will work with athletes and fitness-focused people as a sports medicine physician. Your duties include diagnosing testing, physical therapy, consultation, and sports-related injury treatment. For conducting these medical duties, you will be compensated handsomely. However, your final annual wages will be based on gender, job demand, and practice location.
AUTHORED BY:
Liam Hayden.
I have an MBA in Financial Management.
With 5+ years of experience in the finance industry, I am passionate about topics such as budgeting, investing, insurance, credit, and taxes.
Hobbies: Meditation, and painting.
