Emergency Medicine Physicians
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.
Also called: Attending Emergency Physician · Attending Physician · Emergency MD (Emergency Medicine Doctor) · Emergency Medicine Physician (EM Physician) · Emergency Physician · MD (Medical Doctor)
Median pay (national)
$239,200+
$114,680–$239,200+ (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
33,680
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+2.7%
~1,000 openings/yr
Typical entry
Doctoral or professional degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for emergency medicine physicians shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $239,200+ versus $114,680 at the bottom 10% — 2.1x. The median of $239,200+ leaves roughly 0% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +2.7% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 1,000 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 43 states with released data, New York pays the most for this role (median $239,200, 0% vs the national median), while Utah sits lowest at $137,530 — a 74% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Epic Systems as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Science
- Mathematics
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- 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.
- Communicate likely outcomes of medical diseases or traumatic conditions to patients or their representatives.
- Monitor patients' conditions, and reevaluate treatments, as necessary.
- Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, assistants, specialists, residents, and other medical staff.
Tools & technology
- Epic Systems
- MEDITECH software
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Biology
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Public Safety and Security