Physicians Salaries in Dover, DE
Average Base Pay
$159,617/yr
10% above national average
Monthly
$13,301
Hourly
$77
Cost Index
93
Physicians in Dover, DE earn an average of $159,617 per year, with most salaries falling between $127,694 and $191,540 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 10% above the national average, Dover ranks among the higher-paying markets for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 93. 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 Dover.
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 Dover, DE
Salary Competitiveness
Dover is one of the stronger-paying markets for Physicians, with local salaries running approximately 10% above the national median. This premium typically reflects a combination of higher employer competition, concentrated industry presence, and elevated cost expectations built into local compensation norms.
Cost of Living Impact
Dover sits close to the national cost average. Monthly essential expenses represent about 25% of take-home pay for this role—a midrange ratio that allows for modest savings and discretionary spending, provided housing costs remain stable.
Effective Purchasing Power
After adjusting for local taxes and cost of living, a Physicians earning $159,617 in Dover 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
+10%
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
$116,520
Monthly
$9,710
Weekly
$2,241
Eff. Tax Rate
27%
A gross salary of $159,617 for a Physicians in Dover translates to roughly $9,710 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,410—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $7,300 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 Dover's current market.
How far does this salary go in Dover?
Cost of Living in Dover
Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Dover, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.
Cost Index
93
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 Dover to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.
Monthly Take-Home
$9,710
Living Costs
$2,410
Disposable
$7,300
Cost Index
93
Lifestyle
Comfortable
With a monthly take-home of $9,710, your estimated living costs in Dover are $2,410 ($28,920/yr). This leaves $7,300 per month in disposable income, indicating a comfortable standard of living. Dover's cost of living is 7% below the national average.
Overall, a Physicians earning $159,617 in Dover 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 93, Dover is 7% 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 Dover continue to evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Compare Instantly
See how Physicians salary in Dover stacks up against other cities.
- vs. Detroit, MI
$72,370/yr$87,247
vs Dover - vs. Kansas City, MO
$76,310/yr$83,307
vs Dover - vs. San Mateo, CA
$77,840/yr$81,777
vs Dover - vs. Sunnyvale, CA
$77,840/yr$81,777
vs Dover
Full breakdown: cost of living, net pay, lifestyle score
Compare Cities
Same role, different locations
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City Rankings for Physicians
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Gross Salary
$159,617/yr
Take-home
$9,710/mo
Disposable
$7,300/mo
Lifestyle
Comfortable
Source: thesalaryindex.com · BLS data
Explore More Salary Data
Related pages — all links are live salary pages
Physicians in Other Cities
- Muncie, IN$142,169
- Queen Creek, AZ$159,617
- El Dorado Hills, CA$77,840
- Costa Mesa, CA$77,840
- Coeur D'Alene, ID$157,679
- Mesquite, TX$168,540
- Spokane, WA$149,924
- Fairfield, CA$77,840
- Poughkeepsie, NY$174,157
- Warren, MI$147,016
- Anaheim, CA$77,840
- Pontiac, MI$147,016
- Aberdeen, SD$146,047
- Hayward, CA$77,840
- Hoboken, NJ$173,188
- Mount Vernon, NY$174,157
- Greeley, CO$154,771
- Los Angeles, CA$77,840
- Chicago, IL$215,680
- Springfield, MO$132,476
Other Jobs in Dover
- Emergency Medical Technicians$42,433
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists$104,857
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics$66,585
- Business Teachers$90,822
- Landscaping And Groundskeeping Workers$38,963
- Nursing Instructors And Teachers$81,699
- Textile$39,153
- Firstline Supervisors Of Farming$62,220
- Agricultural Sciences Teachers$87,692
- Adult Basic Education$61,083
- Chiropractors$84,375
- Transportation Inspectors$89,835
- Metalrefining Furnace Operators And Tenders$53,680
- Biological Scientists$88,824
- Chemical Plant And System Operators$74,960
- Clinical And Counseling Psychologists$95,010
- Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors$66,165
- Mental Health And Substance Abuse Social Workers$57,351
- Gambling Service Workers$32,619
- Aircraft Service Attendants$41,959
Top Salary Comparisons
vs. Dover
- Glendale, CA-$81,777
- Kansas City, MO-$83,307
- Costa Mesa, CA-$81,777
- Santa Ana, CA-$81,777
- Hayward, CA-$81,777
- Fremont, CA-$81,777
- Oakland, CA-$81,777
- Carlsbad, CA-$81,777
- Cypress, CA-$81,777
- Simi Valley, CA-$81,777
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.