Emergency Medicine Physicians
SOC code 29-1214 · O*NET-SOC 29-1214.00 · Extensive preparation needed · Healthcare
Emergency Medicine Physicians pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$335,550
a year
Hourly
$161.32
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$317,480
$152.64 per hour
Middle 50%
$184,830 – $418,890
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$103,610 – $495,910
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
32,880
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $103,610
- $49.81/hr
- 25th percentile
- $184,830
- $88.86/hr
- Median percentile
- $335,550
- $161.32/hr
- 75th percentile
- $418,890
- $201.39/hr
- 90th percentile
- $495,910
- $238.42/hr
What does an emergency medicine physician do?
Make immediate medical decisions and act to prevent death or further disability. Provide immediate recognition, evaluation, care, stabilization, and disposition of patients. May direct emergency medical staff in an emergency department.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- Select, request, perform, or interpret diagnostic procedures, such as laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, emergency ultrasounds, and radiographs.
- Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs and priority of treatment.
- Perform emergency resuscitations on patients.
- Stabilize patients in critical condition.
- Perform such medical procedures as emergent cricothyrotomy, endotracheal intubation, and emergency thoracotomy.
- Analyze records, examination information, or test results to diagnose medical conditions.
- Consult with hospitalists and other professionals, such as social workers, regarding patients' hospital admission, continued observation, transition of care, or discharge.
- Conduct primary patient assessments that include information from prior medical care.
How to become an emergency medicine physician
Most people in this role hold post-doctoral training — 62% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 5 — Extensive preparation needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- Post-Doctoral Training62%
- Doctoral Degree34%
- First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.3%
Common questions
How much does an emergency medicine physician earn?
The national median is $335,550 a year. The full range runs from $103,610 at the 10th percentile to $495,910 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become an emergency medicine physician without a degree?
Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 5, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Active Listening4.4/5
- Critical Thinking4.4/5
- Reading Comprehension4.3/5
- Speaking4.3/5
- Writing4.1/5
- Monitoring4.1/5
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry5.0/5
- English Language4.8/5
- Biology4.5/5
- Psychology4.4/5
- Therapy and Counseling4.0/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.9/5
- Education and Training3.7/5
- Public Safety and Security3.3/5
Transferable strengths: Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making.