Pediatric neonatal-perinatal medicine is the highest-paying specialty for nurse practitioners, and cardiovascular surgery is the highest-paying for physician assistants, according to SullivanCotter’s 2026 Advanced Practice Provider Compensation and Productivity Survey Report.
The report draws on data from 892 organizations and more than 160,900 advanced practice providers, effective Jan. 1. The specialty figures were shared with Becker’s. Figures reflect median total cash compensation excluding premium pay such as shift differentials, call pay and extra shifts, and include only specialties where at least 25 organizations provided data. The 2026 survey reflects actions and decisions made in 2025.
The 20 top-paying specialties for nurse practitioners, by median total cash compensation:
| Rank | Specialty | Median TCC |
| 1 | Pediatrics: neonatal-perinatal medicine | $168,032 |
| 2 | Hospitalist: nocturnist | $157,604 |
| 3 | Cardiothoracic surgery | $156,495 |
| 4 | Psychiatry: general | $156,472 |
| 5 | Psychiatry: inpatient | $154,998 |
| 6 | Dermatology | $153,713 |
| 7 | Psychiatry: outpatient | $152,482 |
| 8 | Cardiovascular surgery | $152,407 |
| 9 | Anesthesiology: pain medicine | $152,353 |
| 10 | Cardiology: invasive, interventional | $150,553 |
| 11 | Pediatrics: critical care medicine | $150,500 |
| 12 | Medical critical care | $150,229 |
| 13 | Pediatrics: cardiology | $150,006 |
| 14 | Oncology: hematology and oncology | $149,947 |
| 15 | Emergency medicine | $149,905 |
| 16 | Internal medicine | $149,039 |
| 17 | Obstetrics/gynecology: gynecology only | $147,574 |
| 18 | Cardiology: electrophysiology | $147,491 |
| 19 | Hospitalist: internal medicine | $147,421 |
| 20 | Family medicine | $147,396 |
The 20 top-paying specialties for physician assistants:
| Rank | Specialty | Median TCC |
| 1 | Cardiovascular surgery | $179,663 |
| 2 | Cardiothoracic surgery | $171,662 |
| 3 | Orthopedic surgery: medical | $170,283 |
| 4 | Cardiology: invasive, interventional | $164,800 |
| 5 | Cardiology: electrophysiology | $164,222 |
| 6 | Oncology: medical oncology | $159,650 |
| 7 | Urgent care | $156,728 |
| 8 | Radiology: interventional | $155,561 |
| 9 | Anesthesiology: pain medicine | $154,460 |
| 10 | General surgery | $154,227 |
| 11 | Dermatology | $153,361 |
| 12 | Pediatrics: orthopedic surgery | $153,261 |
| 13 | Pediatrics: neonatal-perinatal medicine | $153,005 |
| 14 | Neurological surgery | $152,464 |
| 15 | Emergency medicine | $151,840 |
| 16 | Thoracic surgery | $151,831 |
| 17 | Medical critical care | $151,775 |
| 18 | Orthopedic surgery: general | $151,655 |
| 19 | Hyperbaric and wound care | $150,951 |
| 20 | Occupational and environmental medicine | $150,902 |
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