Dr's fees are only 20% of healthcare costs. That being said, here is a 2006 report on median incomes which in my opinion is a better indicator than averages because averages can be manipulated so much more.
Doctors' incomes published
By dwenner
August 28, 2007, 4:36PM
Primary-care doctors in the United States had median incomes of $171,519 in 2006, while specialists earned $322,259, according to an annual report from the Medical Group Management Association.
Still, those figures represented increases of 2 percent or less from 2005. That means physicians' incomes didn't keep pace with the 3.2 percent inflation rate, the Colorado-based MGMA noted.
Noting that declining reimbursements are holding down incomes, the MGMA predicted patients will notice their physicians trying to squeeze in more patients in an effort to catch up.
Median income reflects the midway point between the lowest and highest income in a given specialty. MGMA says the survey reflects data submitted voluntarily by 50,000 health care providers from across the United States.
Here are some of the results:
Family doctors who don't deliver babies earned a median income of $164,021, up 2.05 percent from 2005 and 9.15 percent from 2002.
Pediatricians earned $174,209, up 4.21 percent from 2005 and 14.09 percent from 2002.
Cardiologists who perform invasive procedures earned $457,563, down 1.34 percent from 2005 but up 18.85 percent from 2002.
General surgeons earned $306,115, up 1.77 percent from 2005 and 19.94 percent from 2002.
Nurse practitioners earned $73,480, up 4.51 percent from 2005 and 14.62 from 2002.
More survey results are available at
www.mgma.com.