Average Doctor Salaries by Specialty

• In 2023, the average salary for all U.S. physicians, including Primary Care Physicians and Specialists, was $363k.
• The average doctor salary grew by approximately 3% from 2022 to 2023.
• Orthopedics is currently the top-paying medical specialty, with an average annual salary of $558k.

[ READ NEXT: The Prerequisites for Medical School ]

The average salary of a doctor is an important consideration when deciding which medical field you want to specialize in or whether you want to pursue a medical degree. There are many factors to weigh when considering specialties, and understanding how much money different types of doctors make per year can help with financial planning and give you an estimate of when you can expect to pay off your medical school loans. This guide discusses the highest and lowest-paying salaries for doctors by specialty and which U.S. cities and states pay their doctors the best.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• How much do doctors get paid?
• Average Annual Doctor Salary by Specialty
• Top 10 Earning States for Doctors
• Lowest Earning States for Doctors
• Medical Specialties with the Largest Increase in Compensation
• Physician Gender Pay Gap
• Preparing for Medical School
• Choosing a Medical Specialty

How much do doctors get paid?

According to the 2024 MedScape Physician Compensation Report, doctor salaries continue to rise. In 2023, Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) in the United States earned an average of $277,000, while Specialists earned an average of $394,000. However, the average income for a doctor varies widely depending on their specialty and where they live in the U.S. Below, we list the average annual compensation by medical specialty so you can see which types of doctors get paid the most – and the least.

[ RELATED: How Long Does It Take to Become a Doctor? ]

Average Annual Doctor Salary by Specialty

Here are the top-paying medical specialties, ranked by average annual income:

1. Orthopedics: $558,000
2. Plastic Surgery: $536,000
3. Cardiology: $525,000
4. Urology: $515,000
5. Gastroenterology: $512,000
6. Radiology: $498,000
7. Dermatology: $479,000
8. Anesthesiology: $472,000
9. Oncology: $464,000
10. Otolaryngology: $459,000
11. Surgery, General: $423,000
12. Ophthalmology: $409,000
13. Critical Care: $401,000
14. Pulmonary Medicine: $397,000
15. Emergency Medicine: $379,000
16. Pathology: $366,000
17. Ob/Gyn: $352,000
18. Neurology: $343,000
19. Nephrology: $341,000
20. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: $341,000
21. Psychiatry: $323,000
22. Allergy and Immunology: $307,000
23. Rheumatology: $286,000
24. Internal Medicine: $282,000
25. Family Medicine: $272,000
26. Public Health & Preventive Medicine: $263,000
27. Infectious Diseases: $261,000
28. Pediatrics: $260,000
29. Diabetes and Endocrinology: $256,000

Source: MedScape Physician Compensation Report, 2024

Top 10 Earning States for Doctors

Here are the top 10 earning states in the U.S. for doctors:

1. Wisconsin: $397,000
2. Indiana: $372,000
3. Georgia: $363,000
4. Connecticut: $362,000
5. Missouri: $361,000
6. New Jersey: $360,000
7. South Carolina: $360,000
8. Florida: $359,000
9. California: $358,000
10. Michigan: $356,000

Source: MedScape Physician Compensation Report, 2023

The numbers above represent state-wide averages. Average salaries for doctors in metropolitan areas tend to be higher. Here are the top 10 metro areas where doctors are paid the highest average annual salary:

1. San Jose, CA: $474,977
2. Los Angeles, CA: $448,121
3. St. Louis, MO: $442,576
4. Sacramento, CA: $440,004
5. Minneapolis, MN: $438,756
6. San Francisco, CA: $437,628
7. Phoenix, AZ: $436,837
8. San Diego, CA: $430,187
9. Charlotte, NC: $429,566
10.  Las Vegas, NV: $426,727

Source: Doximity 2024 Physician Compensation Report

Lowest Earning States for Doctors

Here are the lowest earning states in the U.S. ranked by income for doctors. 

1. Maryland: $306,000
2. Colorado: $327,000 
3. Virginia: $330,000
4. Massachusetts: $331,000
5. Arizona: $334,000
6. Washington: $338,000
7. Tennessee: $340,000
8. Pennsylvania: $344,000
9. Alabama: $348,000
10. New York: $348,000 
11. Illinois: $350,000
12. North Carolina: $350,000
13. Texas: $353,000

Source: MedScape Physician Compensation Report, 2023

Here are the ten lowest earning metro areas for doctors in the U.S.

1. San Antonio, TX: $371,073
2. Denver, CO: $371,215
3. Washington, DC: $371,495
4. Boston, MA: $378,273
5. Nashville, TN: $380,533
6. Baltimore, MD: $382,837
7. Philadelphia, PA: $387,254
8. Providence, RI: $390,096
9. Virginia Beach, VA: $390,604
10. Birmingham, AL: $391,290

Source: Doximity 2024 Physician Compensation Report

Medical Specialties With the Largest Increase in Compensation in 2023

While doctor salaries by specialty have risen overall, some specialties saw a particularly large increase in 2023. According to MedScape, four specialties have seen at least a 9% increase in compensation over the past year: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Neurology, Nephrology, and Allergy & Immunology. On the other hand, Plastic Surgery, which has previously been a top-paying specialty, saw the largest dip in pay with a 13% decrease in salary.

Physician Gender Pay Gap

A gender pay gap continues to exist in medicine, paralleling a national trend across all fields. In 2023, the overall gender pay gap for physicians decreased to 23%, a slight improvement from the 26% reported in 2022. However, the Doximity 2024 Physician Compensation Report reported that female physicians earned an average of $102,000 less than male physicians. 

In 2023, consistent with previous years, men have higher compensation than women in all specialties. The medical specialty with the largest gender pay gap is Orthopedic Surgery, with male physicians making an average of $661,801 compared to $559,222 for female physicians.

One positive trend is that some specialties are narrowing their gender pay gaps to less than 10%. Medical specialties with the smallest gender pay gaps include Medical Genetics, Hematology, Pediatric Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine, and Oncology.

Preparing for Medical School

Becoming a doctor, regardless of specialty, is a multi-step process that typically begins in high school when you decide to attend an accredited university as a premed student. In order to get into medical school and eventually earn your medical license, you must first take premed classes during your undergraduate years and pass the MCAT. 

Earning a good score on the MCAT is a major achievement and a critical step on your journey to medical school. Enrolling in MCAT prep is a great way to boost your MCAT score and feel confident on test day. It’s important to practice for the exam with realistic MCAT practice tests so you feel prepared. Doing well on the MCAT will make your medical school application more competitive and increase your chances of getting into your top-choice medical school.

The first step toward becoming a doctor is preparing for and passing the MCAT. Take our quick pop quiz to see how you would do on the MCAT.

Choosing a Medical Specialty

Although you likely won’t choose a specialty until you are well into medical school, you can take advantage of shadowing opportunities to not only gain clinical experience for your application to medical school but also to learn more about the specialties and get a feeling for the day-to-day life of various physicians. It’s important to note that the specialties listed above do not constitute an exhaustive list. The AAMC provides a full list of medical specialties on their website. The number of specialties and potential careers can be overwhelming at first. But as you continue on your journey to med school and residency, you’ll learn more about all of the various opportunities for a career in medicine and discover the type of doctor you want to be.

Learn about notable medical schools for each medical specialty by reviewing our guides.

• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Dermatology
• Emergency Medicine
• Family Practice
• Gynecology
• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Oncology
• Pathology
• Pediatrics
• Primary Care
• Psychiatry
• Nontraditional Students
• Radiology
• Research
• Surgery
• Anesthesiology
• Osteopathic

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Written by Kaplan experts, reviewed by Rich Maraggio, Executive Director, Pre-Health Programs at Kaplan North America. Rich has worked on the MCAT for over a decade and has assisted thousands of pre-med students. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Union College.