Clinical care providers saw their total compensation rise by a median of 4.3% in 2025, a slight slowdown from the previous two years but part of what the annual survey describes as a “steady climb” driven by strong demand for care and talent. The survey, conducted by AMGA Consulting for the trade association representing multispecialty medical groups and integrated health systems, also found that advanced practice clinicians received a median 4.1% increase. The compensation gap between nurse practitioners and physician assistants working in the same setting narrowed.
Provider productivity, measured in work relative value units (wRVUs), rose by a median of 2.4% across all clinicians. These practitioners saw a 3% increase.
Overall patient visits rose by a median of 2%.
Related: Ciox Health Sues HHS Over HIPAA Rules
The figures point to “genuine demand expansion,” according to AMGA. Employers have funded higher compensation costs despite stagnant reimbursement rates.
“Over the past several years, provider compensation has increased, but approximately half of the increases have been supported by ongoing growth in wRVU production,” said Fred Horton, president of AMGA Consulting. “In a marketplace with stagnant reimbursement, this is necessary to afford the increases in total cash compensation, but it is not sustainable.”
Horton added that productivity will eventually hit a ceiling.
The overall median increase in total compensation broke down unevenly across specialties. Those in medical specialties saw the same rise. Radiologists, anesthesiologists, and pathologists received a median 5.7% increase. Primary care clinicians saw 3.7% growth.
Related: Patchouli Oil for Face
Surgical specialties lagged at 3.2%.
A similar pattern held for wRVU growth. Radiology, anesthesiology and pathology posted a median 3.1% increase. Surgical specialties matched the overall median wRVU growth. Primary care and medical specialties each saw wRVU growth equal to the overall patient visit increase.
It highlighted a notable shift in that segment: a 2.2% median decline in patient visits, which translates to roughly 60 to 90 fewer visits per physician per year. Combined with a productivity increase, this suggests that these physicians are treating sicker patients.
The consulting firm attributed that shift to changes in evaluation and management (E/M) coding and to constrained access to specialists. The group said the trend should prompt organizations to rethink how they deploy such practitioners in that setting. It collected data on more than 190 specialties from 451 medical groups and health systems, which together employ nearly 188,000 providers.
Related: How to get a medical marijuanas card in Texas online
Its authors noted that these compensation trends are unfolding against a backdrop of significant pressures.
These pressures include impending federal funding cuts and projected physician shortages.
“Organizations must focus on eliminating administrative waste and building an operational platform that supports providers at higher productivity levels without compounding burnout,” he said.