Your compensation at UC Davis Health reflects the University of California system's commitment to attracting and retaining excellent physicians through competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and the financial stability that comes with employment by one of the nation's premier public university systems. The two positions offer distinct salary ranges based on their different clinical structures: the Academic Generalist position provides $271,000 to $327,000 annually, while the Academic Hospitalist position offers $300,000 to $400,000 annually based on the number of shifts worked per month. Both positions include membership in the Health Sciences Compensation Plan, creating opportunities for productivity-based incentives that reward clinical excellence and efficiency without creating unsustainable pressure to maximize volume at the expense of quality care or personal well-being.
Unlike private practice models where physician income fluctuates with market conditions, referral patterns, and payer mix, your UC Davis Health salary provides predictable income you can count on for mortgage payments, retirement planning, and family financial security. Unlike employment models where productivity expectations steadily increase to maintain profit margins, your compensation reflects reasonable clinical expectations that allow sustainable practice. The university's non-profit mission means your work serves patients and educational goals rather than generating returns for shareholders or private equity investors, creating alignment between your professional values and institutional priorities.
Your compensation follows the Health Sciences Compensation Plan structure with three components (X, Y, and Z) that combine to create your total annual earnings. The X component reflects your academic rank (Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Full Professor), while the Y component provides additional compensation based on specialty and other factors. For Academic Generalist positions, the current base salary for Assistant Professor level starts at $256,000 annually without Labor and Delivery call. Associate Professor base salaries average around $290,000, and Professor level reaches approximately $325,000. These base salaries are benchmarked to median AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) salaries for OB/GYN generalist positions, ensuring competitive compensation relative to national academic health center standards.
The compensation for Labor and Delivery shifts adds $18,000 per shift to your annual base salary. Most UWH faculty members take either two or three L&D calls monthly, which increases annual compensation by either $36,000 or $54,000 respectively. For example, an Assistant Professor at the $256,000 base taking three L&D shifts monthly would earn $310,000 annually ($256,000 + $54,000). The Academic Generalist salary range of $271,000 to $327,000 reflects these L&D call payments combined with base salaries, while the Academic Hospitalist range of $300,000 to $400,000 is determined by the number of 12-13 hour shifts worked monthly.
The Z component provides additional payments for extra work beyond your normal schedule, including Saturday clinics, additional call coverage, and other supplementary clinical activities. These Z payments commonly reach $35,000 or more annually after your first one to two years of employment. University Women's Health operates a group bonus plan where the pool of bonus dollars is divided evenly among UWH members (adjusted by percent FTE), creating shared incentives for group productivity and quality outcomes. This collaborative bonus structure contrasts with individual productivity models that can create competition among colleagues and pressure to maximize volume over quality.
Both positions offer opportunities for career development and focused practice areas. Academic Generalist physicians can develop emphasis areas in surgery, laborist/hospitalist work, or outpatient clinic practice over time while maintaining their generalist credentials. This flexibility allows your practice to evolve as your interests develop and the division's needs change, preventing the professional stagnation that can affect physicians in rigidly defined roles. The Academic Hospitalist position similarly allows you to shape your shift preferences and clinical focus based on your strengths and professional goals.
Both positions include annual academic enhancement funds of $5,000 to support your professional development. These funds cover expenses for meetings including travel, lodging, and meals consistent with University policy, as well as books, journals, professional license fees, professional society dues, and limited equipment purchases that enhance your clinical practice or teaching effectiveness. You will also receive six paid continuing medical education (CME) days per year, allowing you to attend educational conferences without using vacation time or reducing income. Additional CME time becomes available when preparing for board examinations, recognizing the importance of maintaining board certification throughout your career.
Your vacation accrual provides two days (16 hours) each calendar month, accumulating to a maximum of 384 hours, equivalent to 9.6 weeks of paid time off. This generous vacation policy, combined with 11 University holidays annually and typically one day of post-call time off after in-house shifts, creates substantial time away from clinical work for personal rejuvenation, family commitments, and the work-life balance essential to preventing physician burnout. Unlike private practices where taking vacation means lost income or burdening partners, your UC Davis Health salary continues regardless of vacation use, and colleagues provide coverage through established systems rather than informal arrangements.
Your benefits package through the University of California system provides comprehensive coverage for you and your family at costs far below private insurance market rates. Medical, dental, and vision insurance options include multiple plan choices, allowing you to select coverage levels matching your family's needs and healthcare utilization patterns. The university subsidizes premium costs substantially, making comprehensive family coverage affordable even on a single income. Preventive care receives full coverage, and the broad provider networks throughout California ensure access to excellent healthcare wherever your family lives within the state.
Life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment coverage protect your family's financial security, with options to purchase additional coverage beyond the basic employer-provided amounts. Critical illness and accident insurance provide additional financial protection against unexpected health events that could otherwise create significant financial hardship. These supplemental benefits cost far less through group university plans than purchasing similar coverage independently, while providing peace of mind that your family maintains financial stability even if serious illness or injury interrupts your career.
The university's comprehensive approach to employee wellness extends beyond traditional health insurance to include mental health support, employee assistance programs, wellness initiatives, and resources addressing the whole person rather than simply treating illness. Access to counseling services, stress management programs, and work-life balance resources acknowledges the challenges physicians face and provides support before problems become crises. This preventive approach to physician well-being contrasts sharply with healthcare employment models that ignore physician burnout until it manifests as departure, disability, or worse outcomes.
Your retirement benefits through the University of California Retirement Plan provide true pension security increasingly rare in modern employment. You choose between two comprehensive retirement options: Pension Choice, which combines a traditional defined benefit pension with supplemental 401(k) contributions, or Savings Choice, which offers a standalone 401(k) with higher university contributions. Both options include substantial employer contributions that accelerate retirement savings far beyond what most physicians achieve through individual retirement accounts or private practice profit-sharing plans.
The Pension Choice option provides a defined benefit pension calculated based on the X component (your academic rank-based salary) plus the X' multiplier (used mostly by clinical departments to give more credit toward retirement) times your years of service times your age. This formula ensures pension payments reflect both your salary progression and longevity of service. The pension guarantees monthly income throughout retirement regardless of market performance or longevity, eliminating the anxiety of outliving retirement savings that plagues many Americans. The supplemental 401(k) component allows additional tax-advantaged savings and investment control, with university contributions to both the pension and 401(k). Total employer contributions can reach 10% or more of your salary depending on your specific plan election and years of service.
The Savings Choice option provides a standalone 401(k) with university contributions reaching up to 8% of salary, offering investment control and portability advantages. This option appeals to physicians who prefer managing their own investments, anticipate career mobility, or want to maximize control over retirement assets. You can contribute pre-tax dollars to traditional 401(k) or 403(b) plans for deferred compensation, or after-tax dollars to Roth IRA options for tax-free growth. Regardless of which retirement plan you select, university contributions dwarf the typical 3-4% matching common in private sector employment, demonstrating institutional commitment to employee financial security and long-term retention.
Your malpractice insurance coverage through UC Davis Health provides occurrence-based protection for all clinical work performed within university facilities and scope of employment, eliminating the tail coverage concerns that plague physicians in private practice or claims-made coverage models. This means if a patient files a lawsuit years after you leave UC Davis Health for any reason, the university's insurance covers your defense and any settlement or judgment, protecting your personal assets and future income from litigation related to care you provided during university employment. This security contrasts sharply with private practice models where departing physicians must purchase expensive tail coverage or risk personal liability for past clinical work.
The university's legal defense team includes attorneys experienced in medical malpractice defense, expert witnesses, and resources to mount vigorous defense against unfounded claims or negotiate reasonable settlements when appropriate. You will not face the anxiety of hiring and paying for your own defense attorney, or the financial exposure that comes with inadequate coverage limits. The institutional support during litigation provides emotional and practical assistance during what is invariably a stressful process, rather than leaving you isolated to navigate the legal system alone.
Beyond core compensation and benefits, your employment includes numerous provisions enhancing financial security and quality of life. Flexible spending accounts allow pre-tax contributions for dependent care and healthcare expenses, reducing tax liability while covering childcare costs or medical expenses not fully covered by insurance. Long-term care insurance options help you plan for potential future needs at group rates substantially below individual policy costs. Pet insurance, legal insurance through ARAG, and adoption assistance demonstrate the breadth of benefits addressing diverse employee needs and life circumstances.
UC Davis Health participates in the Public Health Service Loan Forgiveness program, potentially allowing forgiveness of qualifying federal student loans after 120 months (10 years) of eligible employment and payments. This program provides significant financial relief for physicians carrying substantial educational debt, with loan balances forgiven tax-free after meeting program requirements. The institution also offers mortgage origination programs that may provide favorable terms or assistance for home purchases, making homeownership more accessible in the Sacramento region's competitive real estate market.
Tuition discounts make higher education more accessible for your children or yourself if pursuing additional degrees, supporting lifelong learning and family educational aspirations. The university's commitment to work-life balance includes generous paid time off policies, parental leave provisions exceeding California statutory requirements, and recognition that physicians need adequate time away from clinical work to maintain well-being and avoid burnout. These benefits combine to create total compensation packages that often exceed higher nominal salaries in private practice when you account for the true value of comprehensive benefits and institutional support.
Your compensation and benefits at UC Davis Health provide financial security, comprehensive risk protection, and quality-of-life support that allows you to focus on clinical excellence, teaching, and the aspects of medicine that drew you to this career. The combination of competitive salaries, exceptional benefits, and institutional stability creates a foundation for long-term career satisfaction and personal well-being, whether you choose the generalist pathway combining continuity care with hospital-based practice, or the hospitalist model offering focused inpatient work with schedule flexibility.