Emergency Medicine Physicians: Career Profile
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.
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The Daily Work of Emergency Medicine Physicians Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of emergency medicine physicians span:
- 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.
What Emergency Medicine Physicians Need to Know
Successful emergency medicine physicians combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Emergency Medicine Physicians Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Attending Emergency Physician
- Attending Physician
- Critical Care Intensivist
- Critical Care Intensivist Physician
- Critical Care Physician
- Disaster Medicine Physician
- ER Doctor (Emergency Room Doctor)
- ER Physician (Emergency Room Physician)
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 2,333,594 emergency medicine physicians working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -2.4% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Emergency Medicine Physicians
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $59,902 |
| Hourly median | $28.80 |
| 10th percentile | $39,580 |
| 25th percentile | $49,741 |
| 75th percentile | $70,062 |
| 90th percentile | $80,223 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Emergency Medicine Physicians Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Kentucky | $239,100 |
| Oklahoma | $178,900 |
| Alaska | $168,040 |
| California | $158,100 |
| Georgia | $139,990 |
| Utah | $137,530 |
Where Emergency Medicine Physicians Earn the Most
Earnings for emergency medicine physicians differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast | $80,646 | 24.7% | 2.06 |
| Far Western US | $23,415 | 4.5% | 2.03 |
| Southwest | $20,642 | 4.8% | 0.84 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | OH | $220,570 | 350 |
| Syracuse, NY | NY | $203,470 | 100 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | OK | $178,900 | 80 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | NC | $172,640 | 50 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | UT | $142,560 | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $139,990 | 2,760 |
| Rochester, NY | NY | $72,690 | 140 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of emergency medicine physicians work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 32,250 | n/a |
| Educational Services | 590 | $73,250 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 410 | n/a |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 210 | n/a |
Below are examples of industries where emergency medicine physicians work:
Tools and Technology
- Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for emergency medicine physicians reflects the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Exposed to Disease or Infections
- Contact With Others
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Getting Started in This Career
This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Physician Assistants (Primary-Short)
- Registered Nurses (Supplemental)
- Acute Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Critical Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Clinical Nurse Specialists (Supplemental)
- Nurse Practitioners (Supplemental)
- Anesthesiologists (Primary-Long)
- Cardiologists (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Future emergency medicine physicians commonly pursue programs in:
13 programs across 4 majors
- Combined Medical Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Multiple-Pathway Medical Fellowship Programs
- Emergency Medicine Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Pediatrics Residency/Fellowship Programs
Health Professions and Related Programs
2 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1214.00 (Emergency Medicine Physicians).