The average doctor salary in the United States is $187,876, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median annual wage for all physicians and surgeons is $208,000.
The average doctor salary varies based on the type of practice a physician works in. The highest-paying medical specialties are cardiology, dermatology, orthopedic surgery, and gastroenterology. These specialties also have higher educational requirements than some other fields.
Specialty Average Doctor Salary Average Physician Salary Cardiology $400,879 $271,000 Dermatology $382,128 $262,000 Orthopedic Surgery $344,749 $253,000 Gastroenterology $334,928 $249,000 Anesthesiology $323,365 $237,000 Ophthalmology $311,100 $232,000 General Surgery$301,963
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average doctor salary in the United States is approximately $300,000 per year. This number can vary depending on several factors, including specialty. For example, general physicians earn an average annual income of around $208,000 while cardiologists make a median income of $316,000 each year.
While this might seem like a lot of money—and it is—it’s important to remember that these salaries don’t include malpractice insurance or office overhead costs such as rent and employee salaries. In addition to these expenses, doctors also have to pay for their own medical school tuition, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars per year.
So how does a doctor afford all this? The short answer is that they don’t—they borrow all the money from banks and other lenders who then take out loans against their future earnings potential.
Average Doctor Salary In The Us
Doctor Salaries And Locum Tenens Salaries
Locum tenens medical professionals can expect to make between 30-50% more than a permanent position.
In the table below, we compare the national average annual salary by specialty and the estimated locum tenens salary a doctor could make.Search:
| List of Doctor Specialties | National Average Salary¹ | Locums Tenens Salary² |
|---|
| Neurosurgery | $616,823 | $801,870 |
| Thoracic Surgery | $584,287 | $759,573 |
| Orthopaedic Surgery | $526,385 | $684,301 |
| Radiation Oncology | $486,089 | $631,916 |
| Vascular Surgery | $484,740 | $630,162 |
| Dermatology | $455,000 | $591,500 |
| Cardiology | $454,000 | $590,200 |
| Plastic Surgery | $433,000 | $562,900 |
| Gastroenterology | $432,000 | $561,600 |
| Radiology | $429,000 | $557,700 |
| Urology | $427,000 | $555,100 |
| Anesthesiology | $405,000 | $526,500 |
| General Surgery | $403,000 | $523,900 |
| Otolaryngology (ENT) | $398,000 | $517,400 |
| Oncology | $383,000 | $497,900 |
| Colon & Rectal Surgery | $373,000 | $484,900 |
| Ophthalmology | $371,000 | $482,300 |
| Pulmonology | $344,000 | $447,200 |
| Emergency Medicine | $336,000 | $436,800 |
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | $335,000 | $435,500 |
| Neonat/Perinatology | $317,000 | $412,100 |
| Physical Medicine / Rehab | $315,000 | $409,500 |
| Neurology | $303,000 | $393,900 |
| Pediatric Cardiology | $303,000 | $393,900 |
| Psychiatry | $281,000 | $365,300 |
| Occupational Medicine | $278,000 | $361,400 |
| Pediatric Emergency Medicine | $270,000 | $351,000 |
| Rheumatology | $270,000 | $351,000 |
| Pediatric Gastroenterology | $268,000 | $348,400 |
| Internal Medicine | $264,000 | $343,200 |
| Allergy & Immunology | $263,000 | $341,900 |
| Infectious Disease | $262,000 | $340,600 |
| Geriatrics | $259,000 | $336,700 |
| Medicine/Pediatrics | $254,000 | $330,200 |
| Endocrinology | $246,000 | $319,800 |
| Family Medicine | $242,352 | $315,058 |
| Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology | $222,953 | $289,839 |
| Pediatrics | $222,942 | $289,825 |
| Pediatric Endocrinology | $201,033 | $261,343 |
| Pediatric Infectious Disease | $185,892 | $241,660 |
1. Data from Doximity Report
2. Based on 30% average increase
Salary Trends From 2018 To 2019
While the mean salary for a doctor in the United States saw a +4.6% increase over the past year, not every specialty fared as well. Let’s take a look at who saw the biggest increases and decreases in the past year:
Biggest increases:
- Medicine/Pediatrics saw the biggest change with a +9% increase from $232,000/year to $330,200/year.
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology saw a +7% increase from $208,524/year to $222,953/year.
- Pediatric Cardiology saw a +7% increase from $283,000/year to $303,000/year.
Biggest decreases:
- Plastic Surgery saw the biggest change with a -8.5% decrease from $473,212/year to $433,000/year.
- Otolaryngology (ENT) saw a -7.6% decrease from $431,000/year to $398,000/year.
- Endocrinology saw a -7.5% decrease from $266,000/year to $246,000/year.
The specialties that saw the least amount of change from year to year (<1%) were:
- Pediatrics (+0.5%)
- Urology (0%)
- Emergency Medicine (0%)
- Rheumatology (0%)
- Radiology (-0.5%)
