Pain Medicine Physician Salary 2026: Interventional vs Non-Interventional
Ava Health Team||7 min read
Pain medicine combines pharmacologic management with interventional procedures (epidurals, nerve blocks, spinal cord stimulators, radiofrequency ablation). Median pain physician base salary reached $455,000 in 2026, with high-volume interventional practices exceeding $700,000.
Benchmarks (2026)
| Practice Type | Median | Top Quartile |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital-employed Pain Medicine | $445,000 | $545,000 |
| Interventional Pain (private practice) | $565,000 | $725,000 |
| High-Volume ASC-owning Partnership | $725,000 | $950,000+ |
| Non-Interventional / Chronic Pain | $335,000 | $410,000 |
| Academic Pain Medicine | $355,000 | $440,000 |
Interventional Procedure Revenue Drivers
- Epidural steroid injections: $200-$450 professional + $600-$1,200 facility
- Radiofrequency ablation: $400-$850 professional + $1,500-$3,000 facility
- Spinal cord stimulator trials/implants: $2,500-$5,500 professional + $18,000-$28,000 device/facility
- Kyphoplasty: $1,800-$3,500 professional + $6,000-$10,000 facility
A busy interventional pain practice doing 1,500-2,500 procedures annually with ASC ownership commonly generates $1.2M-$2M in total physician take-home.
Top 10 Highest-Paying States for Pain Medicine (2026)
| Rank | State | Median Base |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | $515,000+ |
| 2 | Indiana | $505,000+ |
| 3 | Oklahoma | $500,000+ |
| 4 | Nebraska | $495,000+ |
| 5 | Missouri | $490,000+ |
| 6 | Kentucky | $485,000+ |
| 7 | Florida | $480,000+ |
| 8 | Ohio | $475,000+ |
| 9 | Texas | $470,000+ |
| 10 | Michigan | $465,000+ |
What Pain Physicians Negotiate in 2026
- Fluoroscopy block time (primary productivity driver)
- ASC ownership pathway
- Procedure case allocation (if multiple partners)
- Sign-on + loan repayment
- Call coverage structure
- Tail malpractice coverage
Ava Health places pain medicine physicians across practice settings. Contact us for openings.