Rheumatologists saw the largest increase in median total cash compensation among physician specialties from 2025 to 2026, according to a survey from SullivanCotter.
The Chicago-based consulting firm released findings from its 2026 Physician Compensation and Productivity Survey on Sept. 17. The report includes data from 575 healthcare organizations representing about 235,000 physicians across 240 specialties.
Total cash compensation includes base salary plus incentive and bonus pay.
Compensation growth continued to outpace productivity gains, which ranged from 0.8% to 2.8% by specialty area over the same period.
Note: This list includes ties.
Here are the 15 specialties with the largest year-over-year increases in median total cash compensation, according to survey data shared with Becker’s:
| Rank | Specialty | 2026 median TCC | Change |
| 1 | Rheumatology | $323,882 | 10.4% |
| 2 (tie) | Family medicine with obstetrics | $335,494 | 9.7% |
| 2 (tie) | Psychiatry, child and adolescent | $323,637 | 9.7% |
| 4 | Infectious disease | $319,983 | 9.6% |
| 5 (tie) | Obstetrics/gynecology, maternal and fetal medicine | $587,298 | 8.8% |
| 5 (tie) | Pediatrics, neonatal-perinatal medicine | $373,930 | 8.8% |
| 7 | Cardiology, general | $608,633 | 8.7% |
| 8 | Endocrinology and metabolism | $325,335 | 8.6% |
| 9 | Orthopedic surgery, sports medicine | $732,547 | 8.4% |
| 10 | Oncology, hematology and oncology | $519,368 | 8% |
| 11 | Pulmonology, general | $456,885 | 7.7% |
| 12 | Cardiology, electrophysiology | $787,304 | 7.6% |
| 13 | Nephrology and hypertension | $391,560 | 7.5% |
| 14 | Anesthesiology | $567,914 | 7.3% |
| 15 | Pathology, clinical | $356,553 | 7.2% |
