If you’re a doctor in Montana or Wisconsin, your job satisfaction is likely significantly higher than it would be if you resided in New York or Rhode Island, according to WalletHub study, which recently released its 2020 list of the best and worst states for doctors.
The best state to be a doctor in Montana, according to the ranking, followed by Wisconsin, Idaho, and North Dakota. Minnesota is No. 5, followed by Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Nebraska.
The study ranked New York as worst, followed by Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Alaska.
Detailed findings & methodology: To identify the best states for doctors to practice medicine in, WalletHub ranked the 50 states and Washington D.C. based on 19 metrics in two categories, “Opportunity & Competition” and “Medical Environment.” The data set ranges from the average annual wage of physicians to hospitals per capita to the quality of the public hospital system.
The “Opportunity & Competition” dimension included metrics like Physicians’ Average Annual Wage, Physicians’ Average Monthly Starting Salary, Hospitals per Capita, Insured Population Rate, Employer-Based Insurance Rate, Projected Share of Elderly Population, among others.
The “Opportunity & Competition” dimension’s metrics were Quality of Public Hospital System, Hospitals Safety – Percentage of “A” Hospitals, Presence of Nationally Accredited Health Departments, Physician Assistants per Capita, among others.
Other factors considered in the ranking included malpractice award payout and the cost of malpractice liability insurance. So what are the top states to practice medicine according to the report?