A physician working for Peru's Health Ministry (Minsa) or a regional government earns a base valuation of PEN 6,624 a month at level 1 and PEN 9,744 at level 5, the highest, under Supreme Decree 271-2023-EF, the scale still in force in 2026. The entry salary equals 5.4 times the PEN 1,230 minimum wage, and bonuses for working in remote, emergency or critical-care settings are added on top, plus on-call shifts.
Across the formal labor market, doctors aged 18 to 29 earn an average of PEN 7,075 a month and those aged 30 or older PEN 8,312, according to the Labor Ministry's Mi Carrera platform, based on the Electronic Payroll and cited by Andina. This guide explains how much a doctor earns in Peru by level, employer and career stage, from SERUMS to specialist.
View the data as a table
| Minsa level 1 (entry) | PEN 6,624 |
| Minsa level 5 (top) | PEN 9,744 |
| Average, doctors aged 18 to 29 | PEN 7,075 |
| Average, doctors aged 30 or older | PEN 8,312 |
How much a doctor earns in Peru at Minsa, by level
Doctors at Minsa and regional governments fall under Legislative Decree 1153, which sets compensation for health staff. Base pay is called the main valuation and depends on career level, from 1 to 5. Moving up is not automatic with seniority: it depends on career progression processes, according to Universidad Continental.
| Level | Monthly base valuation | Times the minimum wage |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (entry) | PEN 6,624 | 5.4 |
| Level 2 | PEN 7,248 | 5.9 |
| Level 3 | PEN 7,872 | 6.4 |
| Level 4 | PEN 8,496 | 6.9 |
| Level 5 | PEN 9,744 | 7.9 |
| Residency | PEN 6,624 | 5.4 |
| Paid SERUMS | PEN 6,624 | 5.4 |
Source: Supreme Decree 271-2023-EF, published in El Peruano on December 1, 2023. The gap between the first and last level is PEN 3,120 a month. The previous decree, 245-2022-EF, set PEN 8,543 for level 5. The 2025-2026 health-sector collective agreement added a payment of PEN 284.64 a year per worker, with no new monthly table, according to Universidad Continental. The minimum wage is covered in our note on Peru's minimum wage.
Bonuses and on-call shifts: what is added to a doctor's pay
A Minsa doctor's actual pay is usually higher than the base valuation in two ways. The first are the adjusted and prioritized valuations of Decree 1153, paid according to location and type of service. The second are hospital on-call shifts, whose rate per shift is set by Supreme Decree 232-2017-EF: an ordinary daytime shift at level 1 pays PEN 87.98, according to Universidad Continental.
| Monthly bonus | Amount |
|---|---|
| Remote or border area | PEN 1,850 |
| Primary care | PEN 1,270 |
| Emergency zone | PEN 1,200 |
| Critical services | PEN 450 |
Source: Decree 1153 valuations, according to Universidad Continental. They are not automatic or always cumulative. As an example, a level-1 doctor in a remote or border area would add PEN 6,624 and PEN 1,850, or PEN 8,474 gross a month before on-call shifts; the calculation is ours. The ordinary clinical workload is 150 hours a month.
SERUMS, residency and EsSalud
After graduating, most doctors do SERUMS (Rural and Marginal Urban Health Service). In a paid post at Minsa or a regional government, a SERUMS doctor earns the same as level 1: PEN 6,624 a month. Residents training as specialists in hospitals also have a base valuation of PEN 6,624. In both cases, authorized on-call shifts can raise income.
EsSalud, the social security health system, has its own scheme. In its 2026 job calls for specialist doctors it offered between PEN 8,902 and PEN 8,955 a month, plus a specialty bonus where applicable, according to Universidad Continental. In the private sector, the Medical Work Law (Law 30635) states that pay cannot be lower than the public entry level.
| Stage or employer | Reference monthly pay | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Paid SERUMS (Minsa or region) | PEN 6,624 | S.D. 271-2023-EF |
| Resident doctor | PEN 6,624 | S.D. 271-2023-EF |
| Minsa level-1 doctor | PEN 6,624 | S.D. 271-2023-EF |
| EsSalud specialist (2026 job call) | PEN 8,902 to PEN 8,955 | Job call cited by U. Continental |
| Market average, aged 18 to 29 | PEN 7,075 | MTPE, Mi Carrera |
| Market average, aged 30 or older | PEN 8,312 | MTPE, Mi Carrera |
| Market top, aged 30 or older | PEN 12,102 | MTPE, Mi Carrera |
Source: S.D. 271-2023-EF, Universidad Continental and MTPE via Andina. MTPE data come from an October 2025 release; the range for young doctors runs from PEN 3,205 to PEN 9,715.
Doctors versus other health professions in Peru
The 2023 scale sets different amounts for each group. Physicians earn the most at every level: their entry level is PEN 1,620 higher than that of nurses, obstetrician-midwives, dental surgeons and medical technologists, who start at PEN 5,004.
View the data as a table
| Entry level | Up to the top level | |
|---|---|---|
| Physician | 6,624 | 3,120 |
| Dental surgeon | 5,004 | 2,447 |
| Nurse | 5,004 | 2,447 |
| Obstetrician-midwife | 5,004 | 2,447 |
| Medical technologist | 5,004 | 2,447 |
| Technical staff | 2,697 | 543 |
| Physician | 6,624 | 9,744 | 6,624 |
| Dental surgeon | 5,004 | 7,451 | 5,004 |
| Nurse | 5,004 | 7,451 | 5,004 |
| Obstetrician-midwife | 5,004 | 7,451 | 5,004 |
| Medical technologist | 5,004 | 7,451 | 5,004 |
| Technical staff | 2,697 | 3,240 | No data |
Source: S.D. 271-2023-EF. For technical and auxiliary staff, the table shows the range of their scale (PEN 2,697 to PEN 3,240), without SERUMS. To compare with other countries, see how much a doctor earns in Chile and how much a doctor earns in Mexico. Peru has 1.69 doctors per 1,000 people, below the regional average; the full ranking is in doctors per capita in Latin America.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a doctor earn in Peru at Minsa?
Between PEN 6,624 (level 1) and PEN 9,744 (level 5) a month in base valuation, plus bonuses and on-call shifts, under S.D. 271-2023-EF.
How much does a SERUMS doctor earn?
In a paid post at Minsa or a regional government, PEN 6,624 a month, the same as level 1.
How much does a doctor earn at EsSalud?
2026 job calls for specialists offered between PEN 8,902 and PEN 8,955 a month, plus a specialty bonus where applicable.
How much does a young doctor earn in Peru?
The average for doctors aged 18 to 29 on the payroll is PEN 7,075 a month, according to the MTPE.
How many minimum wages does a doctor earn in Peru?
Minsa's level 1 equals 5.4 minimum wages of PEN 1,230.
