Neurosurgery had the highest median call pay per call day among 34 physician specialties, according to an Aug. 25 report from Marit Health, which collects anonymous salary data in medicine.
Just over 1 in 5 physicians (22%) who take call reported being paid for it. Marit Health’s August 2026 compensation data included 15,626 physicians across 34 specialties who reported taking call, and 3,448 of them were paid for it. Specialties were included when at least 20 physicians reported taking call.
Some specialties are more likely to receive call pay at all than others. Nearly half of orthopedic surgeons (48%) who submitted their compensation information to Marit Health said they were paid for call, followed by neurosurgery (47%) and anesthesiology (41%).
In contrast, none of the physicians in allergy and immunology who take call were paid for it, followed by radiation oncology at 2% and rheumatology at 3%.
Here is the median call pay per call day, by specialty:
Note: This list includes ties.
1. Neurosurgery: $2,200
2 (tie). Anesthesiology: $2,000
2 (tie). Radiology: $2,000
4. Oncology: $1,500
5. OB-GYN: $1,325
6. Hematology oncology: $1,250
7. Internal medicine: $1,200
8. General surgery: $1,174
9. Orthopedic surgery: $1,075
10 (tie). Oral maxillofacial surgery: $1,000
10 (tie). Urology: $1,000
10 (tie). Psychiatry: $1,000
10 (tie). Plastic surgery: $1,000
10 (tie). Gastroenterology: $1,000
10 (tie). Cardiology: $1,000
10 (tie). Pediatrics: $1,000
10 (tie). Nephrology: $1,000
18. Neurology: $976
19. Physical medicine and rehabilitation: $850
20 (tie). Otolaryngology: $750
20 (tie). Ophthalmology: $750
22. Endocrinology: $676
23. Emergency medicine: $500
24. Family medicine: $480
25. Pathology: $429
26. Podiatry: $350
27. Infectious disease: $300
28. Pulmonology: $232
Editor’s note: Median daily call pay was not applicable for six of the 34 specialties: allergy and immunology, dermatology, hematology, hepatology, radiation oncology and rheumatology.
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