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It's no longer a guaranteed path to being rich, for the record. Since the 1990s, the average income of physicians has grown at less than the rate of inflation (Median physician compensation was ~$140k in 2000 and is ~$240k today). It's gone from being maybe a top 2% income to being a top 10% income.

Not to say it's not still remunerative, or anyone is going to go poor choosing to become a doctor, but there are other paths to a good wage that don't require 8 years of schooling or nearly as much student debt.



Name another "standard" profession that makes a median of 240k per year.


Airline pilots make about $230K


240k as an individual is a lot higher than top 10% of American incomes.


Inflation has jacked up salaries and rates. There’s a big disparity now depending on whether salaries have been adjusted.


It's around the 5th percentile but obviously half of physicians make less than that




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