Lifetime Earnings in Pediatric Cardiology: A Net Present Value Analysis of Academic and Private Practice Pathways

Background

Pediatric cardiology requires extensive training, yet the long-term financial implications across academic subspecialties and private practice remain poorly defined. Clearer understanding is essential for career decisions and workforce planning.

Methods

We used a net present value (NPV) framework to model lifetime earnings for pediatric cardiologists across three academic subspecialties (diagnostic, cardiac intensive care, interventional) under five promotion trajectories, comparing them with private practice. Compensation data came from the Association of Academic Administrators in Pediatrics, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Medical Group Management Association. Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analyses accounted for variation in salary percentile, discount rate, and career length.

Results

Lifetime earnings were substantial across all pediatric cardiology pathways, with NPVs exceeding $7 million(M) in nearly all scenarios. Interventional cardiology yielded the highest NPV at the 50th percentile under a typical academic promotion trajectory ($7.99M), followed by cardiac intensive care ($7.76M) and diagnostic cardiology ($7.00M). Private practice produced an NPV of $7.08M at the 50th percentile, with a ramp-up model increasing this to $7.30M; still below interventional and CICU academic tracks. Academic earnings increased by up to $2.44M through early promotion compared to no promotion, and by up to $867,000 through leadership roles, depending on subspecialty. Salary percentile was the most influential NPV driver; interventional cardiology at the 90th percentile exceeded $10.4M, and private practice reached $10.76 million. Private practice exhibited the widest lifetime earnings range.

Conclusions

Pediatric cardiologists, particularly those in interventional subspecialties or academic leadership, achieve substantial lifetime earnings. At the 50th percentile, academic and private practice careers offer comparable financial outcomes, but private practice shows greater variability. Optimizing academic pathways through early promotion, high-percentile salaries, or leadership roles can match or exceed private practice. These findings can guide trainees and inform institutional strategies for recruitment, and compensation equity in pediatric cardiology.

What is Known

• Pediatric subspecialists, including cardiologists, have historically reported lower compensation than adult medicine counterparts.

• Lifetime earning disparities across the pediatric workforce are documented, but subspecialty-specific financial outcomes within pediatric cardiology remain uncharacterized.

What the Study Adds

• Applies a net present value framework with Monte Carlo simulations to model lifetime earnings across academic pediatric cardiology subspecialties and private practice.

• Demonstrates that academic pediatric cardiology, especially interventional and CICU tracks, can achieve lifetime earnings comparable to or greater than private practice.

• Identifies promotion timing, leadership roles, and higher salary percentiles as major modifiable drivers of lifetime earnings, providing actionable insights for trainees and institutions.