These pay scales are insane for the fact that doctors essentially just have to show up. This doesn't even include management of others (aka Director roles, etc). Just literally showing up.
An employee at a company is likely responsible for a small piece of a product that will affect the lives of some number of people by a very small amount. A doctor will affect the lives of some number of people by an enormous amount. The responsibility is much higher in the medical profession, so doctors may "just show up" but when they don't, people suffer dramatically; when a regular employee doesn't "show up", nobody bats and eyelash.
if you think all doctors do is "just show up", i'd be curious to know what you think programmers do. Do they just "type stuff"?
I meant ... normally for a pay scale above $200k in the non-coastal areas, someone has to manage staff, lead a team, run a business unit, and make strategic decisions. Literally, doctors "do their specialty" - no teams, no 'winning clients' and closing deals to bring in business. They don't have to have any other skills but their specialty at those ranges.
...I know a number of doctors who manage staff, lead teams, provide cost justifications to their hospital's C-suite, and make strategic decisions.