Locum Physician Compensation in West Virginia
Survey benchmarks by specialty and facility setting. Compact state — multi-state license eligible.
West Virginia — Benchmark Rates by Specialty
Median hourly rates in $/hr. Region: Southeast.
| Specialty | Urban Hospital — MedianUrban Median | Rural / Critical Access — MedianRural Median |
|---|---|---|
| Anesthesiology | $350/hr | $404/hr |
| Cardiology | $367/hr | $319/hr |
| Dermatology | $336/hr | $292/hr |
| Emergency Medicine | $260/hr | $282/hr |
| Family Medicine | $146/hr | $169/hr |
| Gastroenterology | $433/hr | $453/hr |
| General Surgery | $371/hr | $323/hr |
| Hematology-Oncology | $449/hr | $469/hr |
| Hospitalist | $201/hr | $232/hr |
| Internal Medicine | $157/hr | $176/hr |
| Neonatology | $217/hr | $259/hr |
| Neurology | $298/hr | $328/hr |
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | $268/hr | $302/hr |
| Orthopedic Surgery | $448/hr | $389/hr |
| Otolaryngology (ENT) | $400/hr | $419/hr |
| Pain Management | $376/hr | $393/hr |
| Pathology | $355/hr | $309/hr |
| Pediatrics | $153/hr | $169/hr |
| Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | $201/hr | $211/hr |
| Psychiatry | $189/hr | $233/hr |
| Radiology | $413/hr | $359/hr |
| Urology | $392/hr | $410/hr |
Highest-Paying Specialties in West Virginia
Urban median hourly rate
| Specialty | Urban Median |
|---|---|
| Hematology-Oncology | $464/hr |
| Radiology | $398/hr |
| Urology | $393/hr |
| Otolaryngology (ENT) | $390/hr |
| Orthopedic Surgery | $388/hr |
West Virginia Market Overview
State income tax: 4.82% top marginal rate.
West Virginia is the most rural state in the US and has one of the most severe physician shortages per capita in the country. WVU Medicine in Morgantown and Charleston Area Medical Center are the primary health systems, but the vast majority of the state's geography is served by critical access hospitals with heavy locum dependency. The southern coalfield counties, the Eastern Panhandle, and the northern tier all have designated shortage areas across primary care, psychiatry, and emergency medicine. Despite a very low cost of living, shortage premiums push locum rates well above state baselines.
Licensing: West Virginia participates in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC). A compact license held in another state can be used in West Virginia without a separate WV license application.