Annual Report
2026 Physician Compensation Report
A comprehensive analysis of physician compensation across specialties, geographies, and practice settings—based on 615 approved, self-reported salary reports collected in 2026.
Total Submissions
615
Overall Median Compensation
$425,000
Year-over-Year Change
-6.6%
vs $455,000 in 2025
Key Findings
Highest Paying Specialty
Plastic Surgery
$975,000
median · n=8
Fastest Growing Specialty
Plastic Surgery
+31.8%
YoY salary increase
Most Satisfied Specialty
Ophthalmology
4.1/5
avg satisfaction
Average Annual Bonus
$262,287
across 321 physicians
Compensation by Specialty
Top 20 specialties by submission count, sorted by median total compensation.
| Specialty | Median | N | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic Surgery | $975,000 | 8 | +31.8% |
| Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | $900,000 | 5 | -23.7% |
| Neurosurgery | $895,000 | 15 | +0.6% |
| Cardiothoracic Surgery | $860,000 | 11 | -28.3% |
| Urology | $770,000 | 16 | +30.5% |
| Orthopedic Surgery | $720,000 | 35 | -6.5% |
| Gastroenterology | $680,000 | 16 | +23.6% |
| Interventional Radiology | $650,000 | 9 | +7.4% |
| Cardiology | $600,000 | 49 | -3.2% |
| Radiation Oncology | $585,000 | 8 | -1.7% |
| Vascular Surgery | $555,000 | 10 | -10% |
| Radiology | $550,000 | 23 | -5.2% |
| Critical Care | $515,000 | 8 | +10.8% |
| Dermatology | $500,000 | 5 | -16.7% |
| Anesthesiology | $492,500 | 54 | -7.9% |
| Otolaryngology | $485,000 | 5 | -7.6% |
| Pathology | $455,000 | 14 | +18.2% |
| Emergency Medicine | $422,500 | 31 | +8.3% |
| Ophthalmology | $405,000 | 14 | -39.6% |
| General Surgery | $400,000 | 32 | -24.5% |
Geographic Analysis
Physician compensation varies significantly by state. States with fewer than 5 submissions are excluded.
Highest-Paying States
| State | Median | N |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $700,000 | 5 |
| Missouri | $500,000 | 5 |
| Washington | $490,000 | 10 |
| Illinois | $485,000 | 28 |
| California | $484,000 | 56 |
| Texas | $483,500 | 40 |
| Michigan | $480,000 | 13 |
| Florida | $460,800 | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $460,000 | 17 |
| Arizona | $450,000 | 19 |
Lowest-Paying States
| State | Median | N |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $450,000 | 11 |
| North Carolina | $435,000 | 12 |
| New York | $410,000 | 45 |
| Georgia | $405,000 | 14 |
| Maryland | $385,000 | 8 |
| Massachusetts | $375,000 | 16 |
| Colorado | $360,000 | 7 |
| Connecticut | $355,000 | 6 |
| Alabama | $350,000 | 20 |
| Alaska | $300,000 | 17 |
Practice Setting Breakdown
How physician compensation compares across different practice environments.
Locum Tenens
$550,000
16 submissions
Private Practice
$500,000
198 submissions
Hospital Employed
$425,000
253 submissions
Academic
$380,000
130 submissions
Government/VA
$295,000
8 submissions
FQHC
$290,000
10 submissions
Satisfaction Overview
Self-reported career satisfaction metrics from 2026 physician submissions.
Overall Satisfaction
3.7/5
580 responses
Would Choose Medicine Again
88%
516 responses
Avg Hours per Week
46
612 responses
Most Satisfied Specialties
Related Compensation Data
Methodology
All compensation data in this report is self-reported by physicians through SalaryDr's anonymous submission form. Each submission is reviewed for accuracy and completeness before being approved for inclusion in our database. Data is filtered to include only attending physicians (residents and fellows are excluded from this report). Specialties and states with fewer than 5 submissions are excluded to protect anonymity and ensure statistical relevance.
Percentile calculations use linear interpolation on sorted compensation arrays. Year-over-year changes compare the median total compensation of the current reporting year to the prior calendar year. Compensation figures represent total annual compensation inclusive of base salary, bonuses, and incentives.
For a full description of our data collection and verification process, see our methodology page.