A continued decline in physician burnout offers cautious optimism for the health care workforce. The latest national data shows that Physician burnout has fallen again, reinforcing a gradual downward trend that suggests sustained investments in well‑being are beginning to make a difference.
While the shift is modest, it is meaningful. After years of escalating stress, administrative burden and workforce strain—intensified by the COVID‑19 public health emergency—recent improvements point to the impact of intentional efforts focused on Physician support, workflow redesign and organizational culture. At the same time, the data makes one thing clear: significant work still lies ahead.
Persistent systemic challenges, including administrative complexity, staffing shortages and inefficient technologies, continue to shape Physicians’ daily experiences. Maintaining and expanding recent gains will require ongoing commitment, rigorous measurement and coordinated action across health systems.
New National Data from the AMA
Nearly 19,000 Physicians across 38 states responded to the AMA Organizational Biopsy® last year, representing 106 participating health systems and organizations. Among those participants, 34 health systems were recognized in 2024 and 2025 through the AMA Joy in Medicine® Health System Recognition Program.
The National Physician Comparison Report, which is exclusive to the AMA and the Organizational Biopsy, reflects 2025 trends across five key performance indicators: job satisfaction, job stress, burnout, intent to leave, and feeling valued.
Burnout Rates Continue Downward
For 2025, 41.9% of Physicians reported experiencing at least one symptom of burnout—down from 43.2% in 2024 and 48.2% in 2023. These findings confirm a continued decline in Physician burnout since its peak during the COVID‑19 emergency.
Job Satisfaction Remains Steady
Physician job satisfaction held steady from 2024 to 2025, increasing slightly from 76.5% to 77%, a change that was not statistically significant. Satisfaction levels remain markedly higher than in prior years, up from 72.1% in 2023 and 67.6% in 2022.
Among Physicians working full‑time, 75.9% reported being satisfied with their jobs, compared with 78.1% of part‑time Physicians. The report also explores differences across gender, specialty and years in practice, with additional analyses to be published in upcoming AMA news articles.
Job Stress Also Declines
Job stress continues to trend downward, though it remains a substantial concern. In 2025, 42.9% of Physicians reported feeling a great deal of stress related to their work, down from 45.1% in 2024 and 50.7% in 2023.
When asked to identify sources of stress, Physicians most frequently cited ineffective EHR systems, concerns about leadership transparency and support, inadequate staffing, and excessive administrative tasks.
Turning Data Into Action
Survey data is most effective when treated as a roadmap, not a scorecard. Rather than focusing solely on how organizations compare to peers, meaningful improvement comes from understanding Physicians’ day‑to‑day realities and identifying where change can have the greatest impact.
Used thoughtfully, survey results can help health systems move past broad measures of burnout and toward the operational factors most shaping Physician well‑being.
As Heather Farley, MD, MHCDS, has emphasized, tools such as the AMA’s Organizational Biopsy help organizations not only see where they stand, but also determine where focused attention is needed most.
Baptist Health offers one example of a data‑driven, multipronged approach. Through its analysis, leadership identified opportunities to strengthen engagement from senior leaders, align system‑wide strategies, and empower local champions for Physician support.
Confluence Health has similarly demonstrated the impact of sustained focus on culture and well‑being. Under the leadership of Makrina Shanbour, MD, the organization has advanced initiatives aimed at reducing burnout, including addressing fatigue from EHR‑related tasks and electronic patient messages, while identifying best practices to share across the system.
Dallas Nephrology Associates also turned to data during its first Physician well‑being survey. With nearly 70% Physician participation, the results provided both validation and clear opportunities for improvement.
The continued decline in Physician burnout is an encouraging sign, but it should be viewed as progress in motion rather than a finished outcome. As organizations use data to better understand the daily pressures Physicians face, they have an opportunity to turn modest gains into lasting change.
Sustained attention to staffing, technology, leadership trust and administrative burden will be essential to building healthier practice environments where Physicians can thrive—and where patients ultimately benefit most.