Physicians Salaries in Bismarck, ND
Average Base Pay
$149,924/yr
3% above national average
Monthly
$12,494
Hourly
$72
Cost Index
88
Physicians in Bismarck, ND earn an average of $149,924 per year, with most salaries falling between $119,939 and $179,909 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 3% above the national average, Bismarck ranks among the higher-paying markets for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 88. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Bismarck.
Salary Range
The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.
Low
Median
High
About Physicians
Physicians diagnose and treat illnesses, injuries, and medical conditions across a wide range of specialties. General practitioners and family medicine physicians manage undifferentiated health problems and chronic conditions for patients of all ages, serving as the primary point of care and coordinating specialist referrals. Internists focus on adult medicine and often subspecialize in areas such as cardiology, gastroenterology, oncology, or pulmonology. Surgeons perform operative procedures to treat conditions ranging from appendicitis and cancer to orthopedic injuries and heart disease. Psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental health conditions using medication management and psychotherapy. Emergency physicians manage acute and life-threatening conditions in high-acuity settings. Pediatricians care for infants, children, and adolescents. Pathologists diagnose disease through laboratory analysis of tissue, blood, and other specimens. Radiologists interpret medical imaging studies. The educational pathway requires four years of medical school following a bachelor's degree, three to seven years of residency training, and often additional fellowship training in a subspecialty. Physicians are licensed by state medical boards and must maintain board certification through continuous medical education and periodic examinations.
What Physicians Do
- Obtain patient history and perform physical examinations
- Diagnose conditions based on clinical findings and diagnostic test results
- Develop and implement individualized treatment plans
- Prescribe medications and therapies
- Order and interpret diagnostic tests including laboratory studies and imaging
- Perform procedures appropriate to specialty
- Coordinate care with specialists, nurses, and allied health professionals
- Maintain accurate medical records and complete documentation
Key Skills & Qualifications
- Clinical assessment and diagnostic reasoning
- Medical knowledge across pathophysiology, pharmacology, and treatment
- Procedure-specific technical skills relevant to specialty
- Patient communication and shared decision-making
- Interpretation of laboratory and radiographic data
- Electronic health record documentation
- MD or DO degree, residency completion, and board certification
- Medical licensure in state(s) of practice
Career Path
- Medical Student
- Resident Physician
- Attending Physician
- Subspecialty Fellow
- Department Chief / Medical Director
Physicians Market in Bismarck, ND
Salary Competitiveness
Bismarck salaries for Physicians track closely with the national median, diverging by less than 4%. This alignment suggests a competitive but balanced local market—employers are broadly in step with national pay scales, which can make benchmark comparisons more reliable when negotiating.
Cost of Living Impact
Bismarck's cost of living runs below the national average, which works in favor of this salary. Essential monthly expenses account for approximately 25% of take-home pay—a ratio that leaves meaningful room for savings, debt reduction, and discretionary spending compared with higher-cost metros.
Effective Purchasing Power
After adjusting for local taxes and cost of living, a Physicians earning $149,924 in Bismarck reaches a strong purchasing-power position. The effective standard of living this income supports is materially higher than the gross number alone implies—a useful data point for professionals comparing offers across metro areas.
vs. National Avg
+3%
Cost Pressure
25%
Purchasing Power
Strong
Take-Home Pay Calculator
Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.
Annual Net
$109,445
Monthly
$9,120
Weekly
$2,105
Eff. Tax Rate
27%
A gross salary of $149,924 for a Physicians in Bismarck translates to roughly $9,120 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,280—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $6,840 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Bismarck's current market.
How far does this salary go in Bismarck?
Cost of Living in Bismarck
Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Bismarck, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.
Cost Index
88
Below Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).
Financial Reality Check
This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Bismarck to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.
Monthly Take-Home
$9,120
Living Costs
$2,280
Disposable
$6,840
Cost Index
88
Lifestyle
Comfortable
With a monthly take-home of $9,120, your estimated living costs in Bismarck are $2,280 ($27,360/yr). This leaves $6,840 per month in disposable income, indicating a comfortable standard of living. Bismarck's cost of living is 12% below the national average.
Overall, a Physicians earning $149,924 in Bismarck falls into a comfortable lifestyle tier and has meaningful room to save, invest, and absorb unexpected expenses without financial stress. With a cost index of 88, Bismarck is 12% more affordable than the national average, which extends your purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Bismarck continue to evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
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See how Physicians salary in Bismarck stacks up against other cities.
- vs. Columbus, OH
$231,590/yr+$81,666
vs Bismarck - vs. Detroit, MI
$72,370/yr$77,554
vs Bismarck - vs. Kansas City, MO
$76,310/yr$73,614
vs Bismarck - vs. San Mateo, CA
$77,840/yr$72,084
vs Bismarck
Full breakdown: cost of living, net pay, lifestyle score
Compare Cities
Same role, different locations
Related Jobs in Bismarck
Other roles in the same area
City Rankings for Physicians
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Gross Salary
$149,924/yr
Take-home
$9,120/mo
Disposable
$6,840/mo
Lifestyle
Comfortable
Source: thesalaryindex.com · BLS data
Bismarck City Overview
COL index, rent benchmarks, top jobs, and affordability score.
Explore Bismarck →Explore More Salary Data
Related pages — all links are live salary pages
Physicians in Other Cities
- Joplin, MO$141,200
- Costa Mesa, CA$77,840
- Bowling Green, KY$146,047
- Carson City, NV$157,679
- Dayton, OH$134,415
- Folsom, CA$77,840
- Cypress, CA$77,840
- Frederick, MD$179,004
- Indian Trail, NC$150,893
- Portsmouth, VA$162,525
- Garland, TX$168,540
- Pearl City, HI$200,329
- Newton, MA$212,030
- Peoria, AZ$159,617
- Gainesville, GA$147,985
- White Plains, NY$174,157
- Wilkes-Barre, PA$147,985
- Dearborn, MI$147,016
- Carlsbad, CA$77,840
- Flint, MI$134,415
Other Jobs in Bismarck
- Environmental Scientists And Specialists$76,054
- Aircraft Structure$57,829
- Electrical And Electronics Installers And Repairers$79,880
- Food Batchmakers$36,578
- Shoe Machine Operators And Tenders$42,934
- Plumbers$64,201
- Education And Childcare Administrators$52,980
- Dental Hygienists$90,407
- Architectural And Engineering Managers$156,240
- Engineering Teachers$104,254
- Animal Breeders$48,894
- Landscaping And Groundskeeping Workers$37,047
- Bookkeeping$47,676
- Helpersroofers$37,802
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers$47,801
- Forensic Science Technicians$67,835
- Railroad Conductors And Yardmasters$62,239
- Home Health And Personal Care Aides$30,218
- Models$53,369
- Mechanical Door Repairers$49,672
Top Salary Comparisons
vs. Bismarck
- Long Beach, CA-$72,084
- San Mateo, CA-$72,084
- Detroit, MI-$77,554
- Glendale, CA-$72,084
- Orange, CA-$72,084
- Daly City, CA-$72,084
- Burbank, CA-$72,084
- Thousand Oaks, CA-$72,084
- Anaheim, CA-$72,084
- Costa Mesa, CA-$72,084
Highest-Paying Markets
Cities where Physicians pays most
- Columbus, OH$231,590
- Cleveland, OH$217,540
- New York, NY$216,420
- Chicago, IL$215,680
- Cambridge, MA$212,030
- Newton, MA$212,030
- Boston, MA$212,030
- Somerville, MA$212,030
Most Affordable Markets
Cities with lowest cost of living
- Toledo, OH$130,537
- Brownsville, TX$130,537
- Mcallen, TX$147,985
- Topeka, KS$130,537
- Gulfport, MS$136,353
- Wichita Falls, TX$131,507
- Canton, OH$131,507
- Laredo, TX$132,476
Salary estimates are based on BLS metro data and adjusted using cost-of-living indices.