Internists' pay up 8 percent in last year

The average total compensation for an employed internal medicine physician jumped 8 percent during the past year to $232,963 a year, according to Delta Physician Placement, a national physician recruiting firm.

Delta, which hires physicians and other medical clinicians for hospitals, group, and small medical practices, reports that the average compensation for family physicians it placed remained flat at $208,726, but locum tenens family doctors are demanding $120 an hour, up 14 percent compared with last year.

"The shortage of family medicine physicians is because of several factors, including retiring physicians and more attractive specialties for new physicians," says Robert Goin, director of marketing for Delta's locum tenens division. "Because of the high demand and low supply, family practitioners are demanding more compensation for locum tenens work."