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Home›Highest Paying Specialties

Highest Paying Medical Specialties in 2026

Complete salary rankings for every physician specialty, based on 3,400+ approved salary reports from practicing physicians. See median compensation, training length, and lifestyle factors to make informed career decisions.

Moderated physician reports|Data as of October 31, 2026|3,400+ Data Points
Compare physician salariesExplore approved salary reports by specialty, state, and practice setting.Browse physician jobsReview current physician-only openings with transparent pay context.

Key Takeaways

Highest Paying
Cardiothoracic Surgery
$1,150,000/yr
Salary Range (Top 25)
$490,000 – $1,150,000
Median total compensation
Specialties Ranked
52
with 5+ approved reports

Top 5 Highest Paid Specialties

#1

Cardiothoracic Surgery

$1,150,000
26 responses
#2

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

$1,090,000
13 responses
#3

Neurosurgery

$895,000
99 responses
#4

Thoracic Surgery

$790,000
20 responses
#5

Orthopedic Surgery

$770,000
124 responses

Complete Salary Rankings by Specialty

RankSpecialtyMedian Salary25th-75th %ileAvg Hours/WkSatisfactionTrainingResponses
1Cardiothoracic Surgery$1,150,000$809,000 – $1,250,00072h4.1/56yr26Details →
2Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery$1,090,000$900,000 – $1,180,00037h4.4/54yr13Details →
3Neurosurgery$895,000$846,250 – $1,046,87563h4.1/57yr99Details →
4Thoracic Surgery$790,000$720,000 – $845,00062h4.1/56yr20Details →
5Orthopedic Surgery$770,000$655,000 – $850,00053h4.1/56yr124Details →
6Plastic Surgery$740,000$710,000 – $780,00053h4.6/56yr74Details →
7Interventional Pain Management$730,000$620,000 – $940,00039h5/55yr5Details →
8Ophthalmology$670,000$483,750 – $714,50044h4.4/54yr100Details →
9Pediatric Surgery$670,000$630,000 – $695,00062h4.1/57yr15Details →
10Cardiology$620,000$516,000 – $715,00053h3.9/56yr180Details →
11Dermatology$620,000$498,415 – $700,00040h4.5/54yr88Details →
12Pain Management$615,000$473,750 – $800,00046h4.3/55yr26Details →
13Vascular Surgery$612,500$555,268 – $692,50059h4/55yr56Details →
14Interventional Radiology$600,000$552,500 – $690,35051h4/56yr53Details →
15Urology$590,000$560,000 – $630,00053h4.1/55yr88Details →
16Radiation Oncology$585,000$560,000 – $620,00049h3.9/55yr43Details →
17Radiology$560,000$505,000 – $600,00046h3.9/56yr116Details →
18Gastroenterology$550,000$500,000 – $570,00049h4.2/56yr94Details →
19Burn Surgery$540,000$500,000 – $580,00063h3.9/56yr13Details →
20Anesthesiology$527,500$465,000 – $597,50047h3.9/54yr164Details →
21Otolaryngology$525,000$475,000 – $560,00050h4.2/55yr43Details →
22Gynecologic Oncology$525,000$495,000 – $640,00054h4.1/57yr14Details →
23General Surgery$512,500$450,000 – $610,00055h4.1/55yr141Details →
24Maternal-Fetal Medicine$505,000$480,000 – $535,00053h4.1/57yr15Details →
25Hematology/Oncology$490,000$427,500 – $520,00048h3.9/56yr125Details →
26Critical Care$480,000$425,000 – $550,00055h3.7/55yr33Details →
27Pulmonology$455,000$340,000 – $520,00052h4.2/56yr86Details →
28Obstetrics & Gynecology$425,000$400,000 – $490,00050h4/54yr77Details →
29Neurology$400,000$335,000 – $440,00045h4/54yr91Details →
30Emergency Medicine$399,495$360,000 – $440,00038h3.7/53yr145Details →
31Neonatology$395,000$367,500 – $415,00050h4.1/56yr31Details →
32Pathology$390,000$317,500 – $420,00044h3.9/55yr56Details →
33Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation$390,000$350,000 – $420,00044h4.1/54yr38Details →
34Nephrology$390,000$331,250 – $427,00050h3.6/55yr34Details →
35Sleep Medicine$390,000$365,000 – $400,00042h4.2/54yr14Details →
36Sports Medicine$375,000$320,000 – $440,00046h4.3/54yr15Details →
37Occupational Medicine$370,000$350,000 – $375,00042h4.2/5—28Details →
38Infectious Disease$362,500$350,000 – $390,00044h4.1/55yr77Details →
39Endocrinology$360,000$340,000 – $368,75042h4.1/55yr61Details →
40Allergy/Immunology$352,500$319,716 – $385,00040h4.1/55yr40Details →
41Psychiatry$350,900$325,000 – $365,00040h4/54yr103Details →
42Rheumatology$350,000$340,000 – $365,00043h3.8/55yr61Details →
43Clinical Informatics$350,000$315,000 – $365,00042h4.2/5—12Details →
44Child Neurology$330,000$285,000 – $345,00045h4/55yr23Details →
45Internal Medicine$326,500$300,000 – $358,12547h3.6/53yr188Details →
46Preventive Medicine$320,000$305,000 – $340,00041h4/53yr21Details →
47Geriatrics$320,000$290,000 – $345,00042h4.1/54yr19Details →
48Palliative Care$320,000$300,000 – $345,00043h4.1/5—16Details →
49Pediatrics$305,000$270,000 – $343,75045h4/53yr272Details →
50Addiction Medicine$305,000$280,000 – $325,00041h4.2/54yr17Details →
51Family Medicine$300,000$271,500 – $333,00043h3.6/53yr158Details →
52Medical Genetics$300,000$280,000 – $300,00042h4.2/54yr17Details →

Salary vs. Training Length: Is the Trade-off Worth It?

One of the most important factors medical students overlook is the opportunity cost of additional training years. A specialty requiring 7+ years of post-medical school training means years of earning a trainee salary (residents on SalaryDr report a median of $70,000 a year) instead of an attending salary. Here is how the top specialties break down:

High Pay, Shorter Training (3-4 yrs)

  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery$1,090,000
  • Ophthalmology$670,000
  • Dermatology$620,000

Highest Pay, Longer Training (5+ yrs)

  • Cardiothoracic Surgery$1,150,000
  • Neurosurgery$895,000
  • Thoracic Surgery$790,000
  • Orthopedic Surgery$770,000
  • Plastic Surgery$740,000

What Medical Students Should Know About Specialty Salaries

Total compensation matters more than base salary

Physician compensation includes base salary, productivity bonuses (often tied to wRVUs), signing bonuses, loan repayment, and benefits. Our data captures total compensation to give you the most accurate picture. Two offers with the same base salary can differ by $100K+ in total compensation.

Geographic variation is significant

Salary can vary by $100K-200K+ for the same specialty depending on location. Rural areas and underserved regions typically pay more due to supply-demand dynamics. Explore our state-by-state salary data for location-specific compensation.

Salary is only one factor in specialty choice

Consider work-life balance, call schedule, clinical interest, and long-term satisfaction. Our lifestyle specialties page ranks specialties by hours worked and satisfaction. Some lower-paying specialties report significantly higher career satisfaction.

For medical students

Choosing a specialty? Ask the class a year ahead.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the highest paying medical specialty in 2026?

Cardiothoracic Surgery is the highest paying medical specialty with a median total compensation of $1,150,000 per year, based on 26 approved physician salary reports. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $809,000 to $1,250,000.

What are the top 5 highest paid doctor specialties?

The top 5 highest paid physician specialties are: Cardiothoracic Surgery ($1,150,000), Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery ($1,090,000), Neurosurgery ($895,000), Thoracic Surgery ($790,000), Orthopedic Surgery ($770,000). These rankings are based on median total compensation from approved physician salary reports.

Do highest paying specialties require longer training?

Generally, yes. Surgical subspecialties requiring 5-8 years of post-medical school training tend to pay more. However, some specialties like Dermatology offer competitive compensation with relatively shorter training (4 years total). The ROI depends on your individual situation -- check our specialty explorer tool to compare options based on your priorities.

Which specialties have the best salary-to-lifestyle ratio?

Specialties like Dermatology, Ophthalmology, and Psychiatry offer strong compensation with more predictable schedules and limited overnight call. Visit our best lifestyle specialties page for detailed work-life balance rankings.

How is this salary data collected?

All salary data is self-reported by physicians through SalaryDr and moderated before it is published: automated checks plus human review of flagged reports. Reports are not NPI-verified. We report median total compensation (not averages), exclude outliers beyond 1.5× the interquartile range, list a specialty only from 5 approved reports, and round figures from 24 or fewer reports. Learn more on our methodology page.

Explore More

Best Lifestyle Specialties
Ranked by work-life balance and satisfaction
Specialty Explorer
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Compare Specialties
Side-by-side salary and lifestyle comparison
Browse All Salaries
Complete specialty salary directory

Explore Individual Specialty Salaries

Cardiothoracic SurgeryOral and Maxillofacial SurgeryNeurosurgeryThoracic SurgeryOrthopedic SurgeryPlastic SurgeryInterventional Pain ManagementOphthalmologyPediatric SurgeryCardiologyDermatologyPain ManagementVascular SurgeryInterventional RadiologyUrologyRadiation OncologyRadiologyGastroenterologyBurn SurgeryAnesthesiologyOtolaryngologyGynecologic OncologyGeneral SurgeryMaternal-Fetal MedicineHematology/OncologyCritical CarePulmonologyObstetrics & GynecologyNeurologyEmergency Medicine

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