The 10 highest paying specialties of 2025
Key Takeaways
Industry Buzz
"We all know pay can be incredibly opaque in medicine, and more transparency will benefit everyone, especially in a field where salaries can vary widely based on region, hospital system, and experience level." — r/medicine user @talktomeme
It’s no secret that physician compensation varies wildly by specialty—but in 2025, the gap between the highest and lowest earners is sharper than ever.
If you’ve been wondering how your pay stacks up, or where things are trending across the field, we broke down the latest Medscape compensation data to analyze where physician salaries may be heading—in 2025 and beyond.[]
Whether you're planning a career pivot, renegotiating a contract, or mentoring the next generation, here’s what you need to know.
Is your specialty on the list?
Here are the top 10 highest paying specialties, ranked by average annual pay:
Orthopedics and orthopedic surgery – $564K
Plastic surgery – $544K
Radiology – $526K
Cardiology – $520K
Gastroenterology – $513K
Urology – $505K
Anesthesiology – $501K
Otolaryngology (ENT) – $484K
Oncology and hematology – $472K
Dermatology – $454K
Why these specialties dominate
Procedures mean payouts: Many of the top earners are procedural specialists with high-volume, high-RVU services.
Workforce dynamics: Demand for GI, ortho, and radiology remains high while training pipelines stay tight.
Fee-for-service incentives: The current system still heavily rewards intervention over prevention.
The pay gap is real
The difference between the top-paying specialty (orthopedics at $564K) and the lowest (pediatrics at $265K) is a staggering $300K—a gap that continues to widen year over year.
"We all know pay can be incredibly opaque in medicine, and more transparency will benefit everyone, especially in a field where salaries can vary widely based on region, hospital system, and experience level," wrote Reddit user @talktomeme in r/medicine.
Your clinical takeaway
Even if you're not planning to retrain in ortho or GI anytime soon, these figures can guide how you:
Negotiate contracts: Use compensation benchmarks to advocate for fair pay and perks.
Mentor trainees: Help residents weigh income trends against lifestyle, burnout risk, and personal values.
Plan long-term: Specialty pay impacts retirement planning, loan repayment, and work-life flexibility. Use that data to your advantage.