How much do gastroenterologists make in 2026?
BLS does not publish a gastroenterology wage. The specialty falls into SOC 29-1229, physicians, all other, whose OEWS May 2025 median is $265,930 a year ($127.85 an hour), with a P25 of $102,930, a P75 of $378,770 and a P90 of $452,360. That residual category pools many non-surgical subspecialties, so the figure is a broad indicator rather than a gastroenterology-specific one, and independent specialty compensation surveys generally place gastroenterology above this median — which is consistent with the P75 and P90 being the more useful markers. The reason is structural: gastroenterology is a procedural specialty, and colonoscopy and endoscopy volume drives income. Physicians with ownership in an ambulatory endoscopy centre capture the facility fee as well as the professional fee, which is the single largest differentiator in the specialty's earnings and has no equivalent in office-based medicine. Employment across the residual category is projected to grow 2.5% through 2034 with roughly 9,600 openings a year. → Full gastroenterologist career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $265,930 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Gastroenterologists earn a national median $265,930/yr ($127.85/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1229); the P10 to P90 range is $69,170 to $452,360.
- BLS has no gastroenterology row: the specialty sits in the residual physicians, all other category, so the $265,930 median describes a mixed group and the P75 and P90 are better markers.
- Procedure volume is the engine of income, and ownership of an ambulatory endoscopy centre — capturing the facility fee alongside the professional fee — is the biggest single differentiator.
- Training is long: internal medicine residency plus a three-year gastroenterology fellowship, with advanced endoscopy adding another year.
US Gastroenterologist Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do gastroenterologists earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 29-1229; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1229, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a gastroenterologist earn at each career stage?
Gastroenterology pay follows procedural volume, practice model and facility ownership. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 29-1229, physicians, all other — a broad category rather than a specialty-specific series.
By State
Which states pay gastroenterologists the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national median for the residual physician category scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. The decisive local factors for gastroenterology are regulatory rather than wage-based: certificate-of-need rules determine whether physicians can open an ambulatory endoscopy centre at all, and state corporate-practice and self-referral rules shape ownership structures. State medical board licensure applies, eased across states by the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($305,820), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
gastroenterologist pay by state — all 1 state guide
By Metro
Which cities pay gastroenterologists the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median for the residual physician category scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a gastroenterologist’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does gastroenterologist pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Gastroenterologists sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify gastroenterologist wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a gastroenterologist actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Gastroenterologist Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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