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Student Loan Repayment Benefits Doctors Get Through Employers at Work

Physicians are no strangers to the burden of student loans, and managing plans for paying back student loans affects the career choices and trajectories of so many doctors. Recognizing this pain point, many employers offer student loan repayment benefits to help with recruiting efforts. There are several ways to do this, either directly or through federally or state funded programs, and with varying time frames, but regardless, these parts of the overall job offer can add significantly to the overall compensation package. As part of our physician salary and compensation negotiation database that we offer as a free resource to members of our online physician community, our doctors anonymously contribute information about their student loan debt and the student loan debt repayment benefits at work. Below, we’ve compiled insights into trends we’ve seen reported. If you work for an employer that doesn’t offer student loan debt repayment benefits, we cover additional options to consider below to help.


Disclosure/Disclaimer: This page contains information about our sponsors and/or affiliate links, which support us monetarily at no cost to you. These should be viewed as introductions rather than formal recommendations, and often provide you with perks, so we hope it's win-win. This information is derived from our physician salary and compensation databases, but is subject to self-reporting errors and availability of relevant data points from our online communities. This information is provided for educational purposes only, and is aimed at advocating for individual physicians. It is not intended to be used for collective bargaining; please see additional disclosures and disclaimers on the physician salary data pages. Please also do your own research before making any decisions based on the information provided. We are not formal financial, legal, or tax professionals and do not provide individualized advice. You should consult these as appropriate. We highly recommend having your physician employment agreement reviewed by a physician contract review attorney to ensure you have the most up to date and relevant information for your specific situation.


Student loan repayment benefits doctors get through work, summarizing the most commonly reported structures for incentives


The Potential Impact of Student Loan Repayment Benefits


In our salary and negotiation database for physicians, we ask members to anonymously report how much student loan debt our members had at graduation. 87% of our physicians reported some level of student loan debt at graduation. 


In our how much doctors make by specialty series, we break the average student loan debt at graduation down by specialty, but the overall average across all specialties from mid-2023 to mid-2025 was $242,845.00.


Having a student loan repayment benefit as an employee benefit or qualifying for a loan forgiveness program can help doctors significantly reduce this financial burden and allow them to leverage their income toward building financial stability and financial independence.


Related PSG resources:

  • SoFi has partnered with Physician Side Gigs to offer a 0.25% rate discount when you refinance student loans. SoFi is a leader in student debt refinancing that’s going beyond their already competitive rates for members like you. You could save thousands with this exclusive member discount rate. Flexible terms let you lower monthly payments or pay off your debt sooner. You could even get a discount for autopay—or just for having a medical school loan. And SoFi charges no fees. See terms and view your rate in two minutes at SoFi.com/PhysicianSideGigs

  • Grad Loan Advice helps PSG members optimize their student loan repayment strategy. Every consultant at Grad Loan Adviceâ„¢ is a Certified Student Loan Professional (CSLP®), bringing expertise and clarity to the often-confusing world of student loans. Through a 1-hour consultation, they’ll break down your options in detail, empowering you to make informed decisions about your debt. Whether you’re navigating changes brought by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act or exploring repayment strategies for the first time, Grad Loan Adviceâ„¢ is here to guide you. PSG members receive $50 off when you schedule your consultation today through our dedicated partner page.



Student Loan Repayment Benefits and Programs for Physicians


While we would love to provide aggregate quantitative data in our analysis of repayment benefits, the number of different structures and conditions reported preclude this. Additionally, depending on the stage of people’s student loans at the time, some physicians may not have reported employee offered benefits or all the options available to them.  


Several physicians reported that they didn’t receive repayment benefits directly from their employer, but that they received repayment or forgiveness assistance through the government. Since our database doesn’t break these down separately, we can’t conclusively separate the data between employer benefits versus governmental programs, but what we can do is provide overall insights into the data we have. We also welcome you to explore our full free physician salary and negotiation database, which provides the individual data points we reviewed and can help you better compare apples to apples for your specific situation. As we’ll see below, different factors such as practice environment and geographic location can impact repayment benefits and programs available.



Common Structures of Student Loan Repayment Benefits


Overall reported repayment benefit in our database ranged anywhere from $5,000 up to $300,000 for total repayment. This is a huge range, so we dug deeper and explored trends we saw to provide better context.


Common overall structures reported were:

  • A specified amount of student loan repayment per month

  • A lump sum student loan repayment incentive, often negotiated as part of a signing bonus

  • A repayment benefit provided each year for a specific number of years

  • A total student loan repayment amount, paid out over a certain number of years (this typically requires the physician to stay for the entire term to receive/keep the benefit)


For physicians who received a monthly repayment benefit, amounts reported included:

  • $100/month

  • $250/month

  • $400/month

  • $1,600/month


 Some of these physicians noted they were eligible to receive the benefit every month they were employed without any limitations, while others reported a maximum benefit provided.


From this small example alone, we can see that amounts can vary by an order of magnitude or more. If your employer offers benefits, what you may get can depend on what you can successfully negotiate for.


For physicians who reported repayment benefits over multiple years, common structures we saw included:

  • $2,000/yr to $6,000/yr, often with no set limit on the number of years

  • $10,000/yr to $30,000/yr, typically for 3 - 5 years depending on the employer

  • $40,000/yr for up to 5 years was commonly reported, though the majority of these physicians worked in government facilities and were likely VA employees taking advantage of the EDRP program.


A few other trends of note:

  • Some mentioned that eligibility for student loans repayment benefits required a certain number of years of employment first.

  • Some mentioned that along with the repayment benefits provided directly by their employer, they were also eligible for PSLF.

  • Others mentioned that they only received repayment benefits if they weren’t eligible for other loan repayment programs.

  • Some employers offer different repayment amounts by year. For example, repayment amounts increased $5,000 per year or decreased $5,000 per year. With these structures, there was typically a maximum number of years for benefits. 



Student Loan Repayment Programs Available to Physicians


While we look into repayment benefits by practice environment and state below, there were a few common federally funded student loan repayment and forgiveness programs we saw referenced throughout our database. We wanted to provide a little more insight into these programs for those not familiar with potential options, depending on your specific situation:


  • Education Debt Repayment Program (EDRP): This program through the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides up to $40,000 a year, for a total of up to $200,000 over a 5-year period, in loan repayment. These funds are tax-free and do not require a mandatory service agreement (i.e. if you leave, you don’t have to pay back any repayment funds already received). Learn more about the VA EDRP program.


  • Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP): This is a military funded scholarship program that pays for medical school in exchange for service in the Armed Forces. It isn’t a repayment program, but can help avoid student loans while in training. For MDs/DOs, it requires a minimum of 18 months of service at a VA facility for every year of sponsorship. Learn more about the HPSP.


  • National Health Service Corps (NHSC) programs: Through the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), the NHSC offers three different repayment programs for physicians: the NHSC loan repayment program; the NHSC SUD workforce loan repayment program; and the NHSC rural community loan repayment program. These programs require a 2 or 3 year service commitment and physicians must apply for them. Repayment benefits are up to $75,000 - $100,000 over the service term, depending on the specific program. Explore the NHSC loan repayment programs.


  • Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): Through the Federal Student Aid office of the US Department of Education, PSLF is available for eligible direct federal student loans for physicians enrolled in a qualifying income driven repayment plan. This is a loan forgiveness program coupled with a repayment plan. Learn more about PSLF and qualifying IDR plans (note that this situation is rapidly changing with the enactment of the Big Beautiful Bill).



State Student Loan Repayment Programs Available to Doctors


Some physicians mentioned that while they didn’t receive student loan repayment benefits directly from their employer, their state offered a repayment program they could take advantage of. Most states now have some sort of student loan forgiveness or repayment assistance programs applicable to physicians. These programs, like most at the federal level, are awarded to physicians in underserved communities, such as rural communities and other federally designated health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).


Just a few examples include:


  • Alaska offers the state-run SLRP/SHARP-1 program for those who provide a minimum of 80% direct patient care services at a primary care outpatient location in a designated HPSA. (Requires a service commitment.)




Search your state’s official government website or Google state payment programs in your state to explore options you may qualify for.



Student Loan Repayment Benefits by Practice Environment


Student loan repayment benefits varied heavily by practice environment, as there are many federal and state run repayment programs available only to eligible physicians, depending on where they work.


  • Active Duty Military: Active duty physicians mentioned a few potential benefits. Some had their education completely paid for to avoid student loans through the HPSP scholarship program available. Others graduated with student loan debt but used the PSLF repayment program.


  • Corporate Groups: Student loan repayment benefits weren’t very common in this practice environment. For those who did receive benefits, repayment ranged from $12,000 total ($6,000/year for up to two years) to $100,000 total ($33,000/yr for 3 years or $50,000/yr for 2 years). $20,000/year for up to 4 or 5 years was commonly reported.


  • FQHCs & Other Non-Profit Groups: The majority of respondents who provided information reported they did not receive any student loan repayment benefits. Those who received benefits often mentioned they didn’t receive any directly from their employer but through student loan repayment or forgiveness programs. The most common one was PSLF, though NHSC programs were also prevalent.


  • Government Facilities: The majority of physicians who responded reported some student loan repayment benefit. Many of our members work at VA facilities and take advantage of the EDRP program. Others mentioned their employment made them eligible for the PSLF program, which they were taking advantage of.


  • Group Private Practice: Similar to corporate groups, student loan repayment benefits weren’t common in this practice area, with the vast majority of physicians reporting they did not receive any. Those who were able to negotiate repayment benefits typically reported around $100,000 - $150,000 in maximum repayment benefits, though structures varied greatly from $10,000/yr for up to 10 years to $50,000 for 2 or 3 years. Each structure reported was different, so we recommend exploring our full free salary and negotiation database.


  • Academic Hospitals: The majority of physicians reported they did not receive any repayment benefits, though many noted that their employment made them eligible for PSLF. Those who received repayment benefits typically received $10,000/yr - $40,000/yr for 3 to 5 years. Again, there was no one standard repayment structure hospital systems implemented, so we recommend using the free salary and negotiation database to explore different structures if you’re negotiating your next employment contract.


  • Non-Academic Hospitals: While the majority of physicians at non-academic hospitals also reported they did not receive repayment benefits, options still exist. Several reported they were eligible for PSLF. Those who received benefits directly through their employer typically reported $10,000/yr - $50,000/yr for 3 to 5 years but again, there was a lot of variation. Up to $100,000 - $200,000 in total repayment benefits were common.



Negotiating Student Loan Repayment Benefits With Your Employer



Some physicians mentioned that the student loan repayment benefits at their workplace were negotiable. If you don’t have any student loans, or have a small remaining balance, this might not be worth focusing on during your physician employment agreement negotiations. If, however, you have significant student loan debt, it could very well be worth bringing up at the negotiations table. If you aren’t comfortable negotiating on your own behalf, or need guidance as you approach the process, reach out to one of our contract review attorneys for assistance.



Learn more about:


If you’re interviewing for your first job and negotiating your first contract, make sure you explore our Transition to Practice guide to employment contract reviews and negotiations and sign up for our PSG weekly newsletter, where we announce upcoming free webinars and in-person events for job searches and contract review and negotiation.


Options for Physicians Without Student Loan Repayment Benefits Through Work


If your employer doesn’t offer any student loan repayment assistance and isn’t eligible for state or federal programs, there are other strategies and programs you can use to manage and reduce your student loan debt. These include:


  • Approach your current employer and see if you can negotiate an additional benefit into your next contract.


  • Consider changing jobs and working for an employer who either offers a direct repayment benefit or qualifies for a repayment or forgiveness program (though we don’t recommend making the move unless you like the other aspects of the job as well!)


  • Work with a financial advisor familiar with physician clients to help prioritize your student loan debt within your financial goals. Explore our financial advisors database (some offer special PSG member perks).


  • Consider refinancing your loans if you aren’t in a forgiveness or repayment program. This can lower your interest rate without additional closing fees, which can reduce the overall amount you’ll have to pay back, allowing you to tackle your debt faster.



Related PSG resources:

  • SoFi has partnered with Physician Side Gigs to offer a 0.25% rate discount when you refinance student loans. SoFi is a leader in student debt refinancing that’s going beyond their already competitive rates for members like you. You could save thousands with this exclusive member discount rate. Flexible terms let you lower monthly payments or pay off your debt sooner. You could even get a discount for autopay—or just for having a medical school loan. And SoFi charges no fees. See terms and view your rate in two minutes at SoFi.com/PhysicianSideGigs

  • Grad Loan Advice helps PSG members optimize their student loan repayment strategy. Every consultant at Grad Loan Adviceâ„¢ is a Certified Student Loan Professional (CSLP®), bringing expertise and clarity to the often-confusing world of student loans. Through a 1-hour consultation, they’ll break down your options in detail, empowering you to make informed decisions about your debt. Whether you’re navigating changes brought by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act or exploring repayment strategies for the first time, Grad Loan Adviceâ„¢ is here to guide you. PSG members receive $50 off when you schedule your consultation today through our dedicated partner page.



Conclusion


For physicians carrying a significant amount of student loans, student loan repayment benefits offered either directly through their employer or through state or federally run programs can help ease a large financial burden after medical school, residency, and fellowship. It can pay well to explore different options, though we remind you that even though these benefits can be substantial, they aren’t the only piece of the puzzle when it comes to selecting the right job opportunity for you. Many repayment programs, even through employers, are paid out over several years or require a certain number of years of service before you’re eligible for benefits, so you want to make sure the environment, work, and culture are enjoyable in the meantime.



Additional Compensation and Career Resources for Physicians


Explore our related articles: 


If you’re looking for a new career opportunity, explore the PSG job board for current opportunities.



If you haven’t recently, please take a few minutes to contribute to our salary database! The data provided is used only for the purpose of our database to help physicians like yourself negotiate better compensation by helping provide salary transparency with relevant data. The data is completely anonymous and is only available to members of our Physician Side Gigs Facebook group. Contribution links can be found on our compensation data for physicians page.


If you need guidance on negotiating your next contract for the best possible deal, check out:


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