Resident Hourly Wage & Union Value Calculator

Resident salaries look modest as annual figures, but for 60- to 80-hour work weeks, the hourly rate often hovers near minimum wage. Calculate your true hourly rate, overtime gap, and model the net return of collective bargaining.

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Your Residency Stipend

PGY Level (AAMC 2025 Benchmark)

Annual Stipend ($)National PGY-1 median is $66,986 (AAMC 2025-2026).

Working Hours

Hours worked per week: 80 hrs

Weeks worked per year52 weeks minus standard 4 weeks paid leave = 48 weeks.

Union Bargaining Assumptions

Union Dues Rate (%)Standard resident union dues (e.g. CIR/SEIU or independent HOA) are 1.5%.

Negotiated Stipend Increase (%)Recent first-contract resident gains average 8%–18% over contract.

Annual Housing Allowance ($)CIR contracts commonly secure $6,000–$12,000/yr in metro areas.

Annual Meal / Cafeteria Allowance ($)

Licensing & Step 3 Fee Coverage ($)Training permit, full license, and USMLE/COMLEX Step 3 registration.

Effective Resident Hourly Wage

$17.44/hr

Based on 3,840 annual hours (80 hrs/wk across 48 weeks).

Overtime Hours Worked

1,920 hrs

Hours beyond standard 40-hr week with $0 overtime pay.

FLSA Equivalent Base Rate

$13.96/hr

Base wage if 1.5x overtime pay applied to extra hours.

Vs. Federal Minimum Wage

2.41x

Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour.

Total Annual Hours

3,840 hrs

Standard 40-hr full-time job is ~2,000 hrs/yr.

Union Dues vs. Bargaining Gains

Modeling the real economics of resident collective bargaining.

Negotiated Gains / Year$15,699+$6699 raise + housing + meals + fees

Union Dues (1.5%)$1,005/yr$84 per month

Net Annual Benefit$14,694/yr15.6x return on dues

Hospital administrations often argue that "a union will cost you 1.5% of your paycheck."Across accredited residency programs with active collective bargaining agreements, negotiated housing stipends, meal cards, and salary steps routinely deliver 8x to 15x the cost of dues back to each resident.

How the calculations work

Residency programs pay fixed annual salaries regardless of how many hours you work. Under the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) institutional requirements, programs are capped at an 80-hour weekly maximum (averaged over four weeks).

Effective Hourly Wage: Annual stipend divided by total annual hours worked (hours per week multiplied by weeks worked per year, defaulting to 48 weeks after 4 weeks paid leave).
Overtime Gap: Residents routinely work 20 to 40 hours per week beyond standard full-time employment (40 hours) with zero overtime compensation.
FLSA Equivalent Base Rate: If a resident were classified under standard Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) non-exempt rules with 1.5x overtime for hours above 40, this shows the lower base hourly rate that would produce the same annual stipend.
Union Economics (ROI): Resident union dues typically range from 1.5% to 1.6% of base salary. First-contract collective bargaining agreements across the country commonly win 8%–18% salary increases, $6,000–$12,000 annual housing stipends, cafeteria allowances, and mandatory exam fee coverage.

Related resources

Resident Union Contract Benchmarks — See actual provisions from landmark contracts at Stanford, Mass General Brigham, University of Michigan, and more.
Resident Unionization: Labor Rights, Due Process, and GME Contracts — Legal primer on the 1999 Boston Medical Center decision, protected concerted activity, and neutral binding arbitration.
Match Day Money Plan — Take-home pay, moving cash needed before July 1, and first-year budgets by state.
Contract Checker — Paste or upload your appointment agreement to identify compensation, duty hours, moonlighting, and due process clauses client-side.