Salary sheet: occupational physician

In our other fact sheets devoted to the employment medicine profession, we've been able to highlight all the facets of the profession, except those related to its role. It's time to fill the gap.

Factors influencing an occupational physician's salary

The area of practice and professional opportunities in occupational medicine

Occupational medicine offers a remarkable diversity of modes of practice and professional contexts, in both the public and private sectors. Around 90% of occupational physicians work in inter-company services, usually run as associations under the law of 1901, managed by employers and supervised by employee representatives. Each doctor is responsible for a specific geographical and/or professional sector, enabling him or her to develop targeted expertise.

In large companies (generally with more than 1,000 employees), the salary conditions of the occupational physician are still different. The occupational physician may work in an autonomous capacity, as an employee of the company. In this case, he or she reports directly to the company's social and economic committee (Comité social et économique - CSE), and works directly with in-house teams.

Other specific structures offer particular frameworks for practice:

• In the agricultural sector, doctors work for the Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA) and collaborate closely with consulting doctors and sales representatives.
• In the civil service, the médecin du travail takes the name of médecin de prévention; its missions remain equivalent.
• In the hospital sector, he or she can be a staff physician, but can also progress to a career in the hospital and university sector.
• In publicresearch organizations and national agencies (INSERM, INRS, ANSES, Santé Publique France...), advisory, coordination or research functions are also conceivable.
• Finally, some physicians practice as Médecin Inspecteur Régional du Travail et de la Main-d’Œuvre (MIRTMO), with a mission to control and support occupational health policies.

Rémunération: factors of variation

La rémuneacute;ration du médecin du travail varie selon plusieurs critères:

• The sector of practice : in the public sector, salaries are governed by grilles salariales médecine du travail, but can be increased by bonuses based on responsibilities. In the private sector, compensation is generally higher, with considerable room for negotiation, particularly in inter-company services.
• Geographic location: some rural or unattractive areas offer higher salaries and may offer relocation assistance or company housing. In urban areas, rents can be competitive due to strong competition between employers, but the cost of living puts this advantage into perspective.
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• Additional responsibilities: working as a coordinating physician, in-house trainer or in technical sectors (heavy industry, nuclear power, etc.) enables us to offer our clients a wide range of services.) provides access to higher levels of expertise. Participation in prevention projects or research work is also a lever for added value.

Mobility and diversity of career paths

Occupational medicine is a field where geographic and sectoral mobilities are particularly easy (see our article Medecins: quelles aides à l'installation peuvent vous être proposées?). Positions are available throughout France, including the French overseas departments and territories, in all sectors of activity (industry, transport, services, commerce, agriculture, etc.). This flexibility enables doctors to adapt their careers to their life choices, interests or professional development, and to apply for job offers from médecin du travail different à each éstep of their careerère.

The average salary of an occupational physician in France

It is difficult to establish with precision the income of an occupational physician due to the criteria detailed above, it's still interesting to give averages based on experience and status. So, how much does an occupational physician earn? Here are a few points to consider:

• Gross salary of an expédecin du travail: de 90 000 à 120 000€ brut par an.

As a reminder, an occupational physician's remuneration fluctuates according to the conditions in which he or she practices.

Comparison with other medical specialties

Médecin du travail vs médecin généraliste

À full-time, the rémunération mensuelle du médecin du travail est supérieure à celle d’un general manageremployee, thanks in particular to a more favorable structuring of working hours, responsibilities and the valorization of certain specific missions. In the case of a self-employed generalist, the comparison becomes more complex: while the freelance practitioner's gross income may be higher in the event of a high patient load, he or she is also subject to high charges (contributions, insurance, practice costs, staff), high monthly variability and a considerable administrative burden.

In practice, the employment physician enjoys salary stability, guaranteed leave, a pension scheme in line with that of the salaried function, and the right to a pension scheme in line with that of the salaried function;e, et d’une prévisibilit&e; dans l’organisation de son emploi, autant d’éléments souvent sous-eacute;s dans la réflexion sur la rémuneacute;ration globale.

Labor médecin vs médecin spécialiste

In comparison with technical medical specialties (surgery, anesthesia, cardiology, etc.), the occupational physicians are more likely to work in the field of occupational medicine.), the income of the occupational physician is lower overall, particularly in the liberal professions where certain specialties can generate very high incomes. Nevertheless, occupational medicine is increasingly appealing to practitioners seeking a lasting balance between professional commitment and quality of life. It enables them to combine a varied medical practice, interdisciplinary teamwork and time management compatible with an active personal life. 

In addition, when comparing the salaries of médecins, it's also worth mentioning that the absence of on-call duty and chronic overload linked to the pressure of consultations or emergencies makes this a speciality of the hospital;cialité particulièrement attractive for those who privilege regularity, prevention and long-term relationships with companies and employees.

Perspectives d’évolution salariale pour les médecins du travail

Occupational medicine is not a straightforward path: on the contrary, it offers exciting prospects for salary growth for those wishing to broaden their field of action. With experience, we've seen that it's possible to take on managerial roles, such as coordinating physician, medical director or department manager; involving strategic vision, management of multidisciplinary teams and active participation in the governance of prevention policies. These functions naturally come with increased recognition, both institutionally and in terms of salary.

Finally, continuing training is a powerful lever for progression (see our fiche études médecin du travail). By specializing in fields such as toxicology, ergonomics, mental health or risk management, through university diplomas (DU) or targeted certifications, the occupational physician can gain access to high value-added consultancy or expertise assignments. These skills are particularly sought after in complex environments (risk industry, large corporations, research organizations), and often enable access to better-resourced, more strategic positions at the interface between fieldwork, research and decision-making.

In résumé, if the carrière of médecin du travail is more stable than the majority of medical specialties, it remains attractive from a salary point of view, and promises great career-long prospects. A dedicated and ambitious occupational physician will have plenty of scope to change his or her mode of practice, environment and role.

Did you like this article and want to read on? Find our fiche métier médecin généraliste.