As an emergency medicine physician or advanced practice provider, you are the backbone of acute care, making life-saving decisions in high-pressure environments.
Whether you are early in your career or a seasoned professional, understanding your earning potential is key to making informed career choices.
In this guide, we’ve gathered salary data from trusted sources, along with industry reports and insights from OnCall Solutions’ staffing experts. Whether you’re looking for tips on negotiating a competitive salary, exploring moonlighting or locum tenens emergency medicine opportunities, or considering a move to a higher-paying region, here’s what you need to know about physician and APP salaries in emergency medicine.
Let’s get to the good stuff!
2025 Emergency Medicine Salary Trends
The healthcare workforce is changing significantly, with contract and temporary positions becoming more common. As hospitals and healthcare employers deal with staffing shortages, rising patient demand, and provider burnout, many turn to flexible staffing solutions like locum tenens and moonlighting to maintain quality care.
This shift gives clinicians more control over their schedules, higher earning potential, and opportunities to work in diverse settings—making contract roles an increasingly attractive option over traditional full-time employment.
In 2024, the full-time earning potential for emergency medicine physicians and APPs ranged from $160 to $245 per hour. The full-time locum tenens emergency medicine salaries averaged $421,200 annually, compared to just $353,000 for permanent positions. At OnCall Solutions, we offer even higher locum tenens rates, ranging from $260 to $350 per hour.
Now, let’s explore the earning potential of EM physicians and APPs, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and CRNAs.
Emergency Medicine Physician Salaries
According to Salary.com, the average annual salary range for EM physicians in 2024 was $265,000 to $372,400, depending on location, education and experience, and facility setting. As of February 2025, the typical annual salary for an emergency medicine physician was $374,300. Most EM physicians earn between $266,360 and $461,225, with a typical range of $317,800 to $419,800.
Emergency Medicine Physician Salaries by Percentile
Source: Salary.com
The 2025 salary increase—which experts predict will see an average annual growth of 2% to 3% this year— is primarily due to:
- Increased demand: With the aging population and more patients requiring immediate care, the demand for emergency medicine physicians grows, giving EM docs leverage to negotiate higher salaries.
- Physician shortages: Rural and underserved areas must offer higher compensation to attract top talent, which creates exciting new opportunities for locum tenens EM physicians.
- Inflation: The rising cost of living will pressure healthcare employers to adjust their compensation strategies, forcing them to increase salaries and wages.
The 2025 EM physician annual salary increase will lift the benchmark closer to $285,000 to $365,000.
Location, Location, Location
Location plays a key role in physician compensation. States with prestigious academic medical centers and high patient volumes often offer higher salaries to attract and retain top-tier clinicians. These institutions manage complex, specialized cases, driving demand for highly skilled emergency physicians and APPs.
States with high patient volumes, especially in large metropolitan areas, offer increased compensation due to heavier workloads, more diverse cases, and a greater need for round-the-clock emergency coverage. Factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence also affect salary expectations by location.
Here is a salary breakdown by state and specialty:
Emergency Medicine Physicians: Salary by State
Source: Indeed.com
Emergency Medicine NPs: Salary by State
Source: Nurse.org
Emergency Medicine PAs: Salary by State
Source: USNews
Emergency Medicine CRNAs: Salary by State
Source: Nurse.org
How Experience Impacts Emergency Medicine Salaries
The more experience emergency medicine physicians and APPs gain, the greater their earning potential. Each year in practice, they build the expertise and credibility needed to negotiate higher salaries, secure leadership roles, and access additional benefits.
Salary growth and negotiation power also vary by specialty. Physicians and APPs in high-demand fields often see faster salary increases and more opportunities to advocate for competitive compensation packages.
Let’s break down how experience impacts earnings across different specialties.
Emergency Medicine Physicians: Salary by Experience
Source: Salary.com
Emergency Medicine NPs: Salary by Experience
Source: Nurse.org
Emergency Medicine PAs: Salary by Experience
Source: SalaryExpert.com
Emergency Medicine CRNAs: Salary by Experience
Source: SalaryExpert.com
MaximizeYour Salary as an Emergency Medicine Physician or APP
As you can see, emergency medicine salaries are influenced by multiple factors, including location, experience, and employment type. Taking a strategic approach to your career can optimize your earning potential while maintaining flexibility and work-life balance.
Here are some strategies to help you maximize your salary and build a career in emergency medicine.
- Consider locum tenens or moonlighting: Contract roles often pay higher hourly rates than permanent positions, providing greater financial flexibility.
- Relocate to higher-paying states: Regions with physician shortages, high patient volumes, or higher living costs tend to offer more competitive salaries.
- Leverage your experience: Your earning potential increases with each year in practice. Use this to negotiate better compensation and leadership opportunities.
- Specialize and get certified: Additional certifications, such as board certification in emergency medicine or trauma care, can justify higher pay.
At OnCall Solutions, we connect permanent, moonlighting, and locum tenens emergency medicine physicians, NPs, PAs, and CRNAs with rewarding opportunities that align with expertise and salary expectations. At OnCall Solutions, we support you with job placement, contract negotiation, and career advice.
