About one-third — 37 percent — of physicians earned more in 2017 than they did in 2016, according to PriceMatch's second annual physician salary survey.
PriceMatch surveyed 1,218 U.S. physicians about salary trends, career satisfaction and personal finance.
Here are six survey findings:
1. More than half of the respondents reported being "very" or "extremely" satisfied with their current position.
2. Female physicians comprised 35 percent of respondents and reported slightly lower satisfaction with their careers and pay than their male counterparts.
3. Nearly one-third — 30 percent — of surveyed physicians reported having an outstanding loan balance in 2017. Only 8 percent of physicians with outstanding school debt received loan assistance in 2017, compared with about one-third of respondents in 2016.
4. The average amount of financial assistance reported for 2017 was $25,000.
5. Approximately one-quarter of respondents received a signing bonus when they accepted their current position, with an average signing bonus of $15,000.
6. More than half — 60 percent — of physicians proactively contacted a physician recruiter once in 2017, compared to 44 percent in 2016.