How Much Do Doctors Earn? They Can Earn the Minimum Wage in Just One Day. The Amounts Are Staggering

Much is said about doctors earning a lot, but is it true? It turns out they can count on generous salaries. These are wages that the average person can only dream of. So, what kind of rates do doctors get paid?
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fot. Michał Łepecki / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

Medical studies are very demanding, but after completing them, a young doctor can earn quite well. Salaries need to be competitive to prevent specialists from leaving for higher pay in other Western European countries. How much do doctors earn in Poland? Quite a lot.

Ile zarabiają lekarze? Płacę minimalną są w stanie zarobić w ciągu jednego dyżuru. Kwoty zwalają z nóg
Ile zarabiają lekarze? Płacę minimalną są w stanie zarobić w ciągu jednego dyżuru. Kwoty zwalają z nógIle zarabiają lekarze? Płacę minimalną są w stanie zarobić w ciągu jednego dyżuru. Kwoty zwalają z nóg, istock/@Nadzeya Haroshka

How Much Do Doctors Earn? Many Can Only Dream of These Rates. "Salaries of Several Tens of Thousands of Zlotys"

As reported by Business Insider, at the end of 2023, there were 197,434 doctors and dentists working in Poland. In medical professions, there is a minimum wage that, as of July, is:

  • 10.4 thousand PLN gross for doctors with first and second-degree specialization,
  • 8.5 thousand PLN gross for doctors or dentists without specialization,
  • 6.8 thousand PLN gross for medical interns.

However, these are not the actual earnings.

Usually, hospitals offer the minimum wage stipulated by the law signed by the President of the Republic of Poland. However, for a long time, monthly income from employment has been supplemented with earnings from on-call duties, which is additional work. Salaries of several tens of thousands of zlotys are possible in medicine, but they apply to contracts and in selected fields

- explained cardiologist Ryszard Mielniczuk in an interview with Business Insider.

Doctors earn more because they work in various employment forms and have different payment structures. According to the "Doctors - Job Offers" report, the average hourly rate in 2023 was 162.79 PLN. Dermatologists can earn 287 PLN per hour, rheumatologists 300 PLN, and the highest rates are for psychiatrists at 304 PLN per hour, meaning they can earn the national minimum wage of 4242 PLN gross in just under 14 hours of work.

How Much Do Doctors Earn Monthly in 2024? The Figures Are Mind-Blowing

Doctors' earnings come from working in hospitals, private facilities, private practices, and collaboration with pharmaceutical companies. According to the report "Labor Market for Doctors and Specialists in the Medical Industry in the Second Quarter of 2024," professionals in medical fields can earn up to 64 thousand PLN per month.