Neurosurgeons have the highest annual compensation out of any physician specialty, bringing in an average of nearly $830,000, more than $75,000 higher than the second-highest-paid specialty, according to Doximity’s “Physician Compensation Report 2026.“
The specialties with the highest average compensation tend to be in the surgical and procedural space, while those with the lowest are typically pediatric and primary care specialists.
In total, there are 10 specialties with an average annual salary of more than $600,000.
Doximity collected nearly 23,000 physician compensation surveys throughout 2025, with the surveys completed by full-time U.S. physicians who work at least 40 hours per week. The report was published Aug. 25, 2026.
Here are the 20 physician specialties with the highest and lowest average compensation:
Highest-paid specialties
- Neurosurgery: $829,161
- Thoracic surgery: $749,707
- Orthopedic surgery: $696,852
- Interventional radiology: $634,658
- Pediatric (general) surgery: $627,126
- Plastic surgery: $625,757
- Radiation oncology: $613,837
- Radiology: $609,684
- Cardiology: $604,635
- Vascular surgery: $600,520
- Urology: $566,740
- Anesthesiology: $557,131
- Otolaryngology: $549,810
- Gastroenterology: $531,345
- Oncology: $519,715
- General surgery: $501,003
- Dermatology: $497,509
- Colon and rectal surgery: $492,802
- Ophthalmology: $487,438
- Hematology: $446,700
Lowest-paid specialties
- Pediatric infectious disease: $217,819
- Pediatric rheumatology: $236,011
- Pediatric endocrinology: $242,274
- Preventive medicine: $265,825
- Pediatric nephrology: $269,825
- Pediatric hematology and oncology: $271,021
- Pediatrics: $273,665
- Medical genetics: $273,826
- Pediatric pulmonology: $278,452
- Geriatrics: $304,411
- Child neurology: $309,593
- Endocrinology: $309,782
- Pediatric gastroenterology: $311,433
- Medicine/pediatrics: $319,995
- Rheumatology: $321,778
- Family medicine: $325,040
- Occupational medicine: $329,380
- Pediatric emergency medicine: $332,579
- Allergy and immunology: $335,978
- Infectious disease: $337,353
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