Due to the economic downturn, the situation of doctors in mainland China experiencing pay cuts is becoming increasingly common, with reductions reaching up to 30% or even half of their previous income. Some doctors in small county towns are even resorting to part-time jobs like delivering takeout meals.
According to a report released by the healthcare market research organization Hua Yi Net in June of this year, titled “2024 Salary and Employment Survey for Medical Talents,” the report compiled data on salary changes for nearly 30,000 medical personnel. The data revealed that 57.9% of medical personnel experienced salary decreases in 2024, marking a significant increase from the previous year’s report which indicated a 37% decrease. The trend of declining salaries is on the rise.
Reported by Economic Observation Net on November 11th, a chief surgeon of general surgery at a county hospital in Chongqing stated that over the past six months, their wages have been delayed by two to three days each month. After deducting social security and other contributions, their monthly basic salary amounts to around 2000 yuan, while performance-based pay has decreased from around 6000 yuan at the beginning of the year to about 4000 yuan currently, representing a reduction of approximately 30%. In China, doctors’ earnings are mainly comprised of fixed salaries and performance-based pay, with the latter often constituting 70% to 80% of their total income.
At a provincial-level children’s hospital in western China, salaries have also dropped by a third compared to the previous year. Doctors at the hospital mentioned that this may just be the beginning, as in the past month alone, they have heard discussions about pay cuts three times during administrative meetings.
A neurologist at a top tertiary hospital in Beijing mentioned that their hospital has been indirectly decreasing salaries for the past seven to eight years. Despite being promoted twice, their salary has remained almost stagnant. Furthermore, following the pandemic, there have been quarterly salary reductions of 3% to 5%, resulting in a cumulative decrease of over 20% in two years. Hospital leaders have warned the staff to prepare for tough times ahead.
Another doctor, after consulting with colleagues, discovered that pay cuts have become quite common. Since the beginning of the year, their total income has decreased by 30% to 50%.
As per Li Ming, a senior hospital manager in Shanghai, doctor pay cuts are a prevalent trend. Some doctors in grassroots hospitals are now earning as little as 2000 to 3000 yuan a month, while in underdeveloped areas, some hospitals are struggling to even provide the basic salary. In some regions, doctors are taking on side jobs such as ride-sharing and food delivery.
He added, “The situation in Shanghai is not as severe yet, but there have also been salary reductions of 10% to 15% for some hospital doctors.”
Multiple interviewed doctors believe that pay cuts are the result of a combination of factors including the overall economic environment, cost controls on medical insurance, and substantial hospital renovations and constructions.
“Who would have thought a few years ago that doctors would face pay cuts?” Li Ming remarked. “However, nowadays, in many newly built hospitals, there are more doctors than patients. Where will the money come from to pay salaries?”
According to a report by “Medical Eye Observation” last year, Yu Xiaobao, the Vice President of the Private Hospitals Management Branch of the Chinese Hospital Association, stated that since the outbreak of the pandemic, over 2000 private hospitals have gone bankrupt due to operational difficulties. This figure is still on the rise.