Beginners' Salaries

• Oncologists just starting out in their careers can expect a salary range of $97,211 to $243,841, according to Payscale, a website that maintains a massive global database of salary information on thousands of occupations. It sets the average salary range for oncologists with one to four years of experience at $100,985 to $236,948. Forty percent of oncologists fall into this experience range, Payscale says. Only 11 percent of oncologists have 20 or more years experience; their pay ranges from $194,065 to $299,285.
  
  

Average Salaries

• Payscale says most oncologists earn from $132,615 to $258,734 annually; these figures include benefits and other compensation. Salary.com, another salary database giant, puts the median compensation for oncologists at $266,346. Salary.com says the bottom 10 percent of oncologists earn approximately $173,000 annually while the top 10 percent earn more than $430,000.
  
  

Salary by Location

• Where an oncologist works also plays a significant part in the salary picture. Surprisingly, Payscale says, oncologists in America's heartland of Omaha, Nebraska, are paid more than oncologists working elsewhere in the United States. Omaha, with salaries ranging from $112,000 to $325,000, holds the No. 1 spot of the 12 highest-paying cities in the United States. No. 2 is Baltimore, where oncologists earn from $125,000 to $226,301. No. 12 on the list is Houston, with oncologist earnings of $98,870 to $184,000 annually.
  
  

Salary by Employer

• Oncologists who work for nonprofit organizations have the potential for the highest earnings, with a salary range from $137,344 to $304,896, according to Payscale. Oncologists employed by hospitals can expect a salary range of $100,800 to $223,306. Those who are in private practice have earnings of $177,720 to $254,874. Oncologists who work for companies earn salaries of $174,857 to $297,207 annually.
  
  

Oncologist Traininig

• Oncologists must complete a regular medical degree, including a residency, with specialization in oncology; this could take five to eight years beyond a baccalaureate degree, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The organization says oncologists can specialize in internal medicine, pediatrics, gynecology, urology, surgery or radiation oncology. The society says a shortage of oncologists is expected by 2020 because more people will survive cancer. Payscale notes that the occupational split by gender for oncologists is 62 percent men and 38 percent women.