The median compensation for a primary-care faculty member in the U.S. was $167,943 in 2011, while median compensation for a specialty-care faculty member was $253,917, according to a report from the MGMA-ACMPE, formerly the Medical Group Management Association.

The report, the Academic Practice Compensation and Production Survey for Faculty and Management: 2012 Report Based on 2011 Data, found that among selected academic clinical specialists, orthopedic surgery faculty members had the highest median compensation, at $432,260. Faculty members specializing in endocrinology/metabolism were at the low end of the compensation scale, at $161,337, according to the report.

The MGMA-ACMPE's report also notes that specialists in academic settings are paid less than those in private practice, highlighting that anesthesiologists earned $326,000 in academic settings and $407,292 in private practice, while general surgeons in academic settings earned $297,260, compared with $343,958 for those in private practice.