Neurology saw a 27.6% jump in the number of employed physicians between 2024 and 2025, while ophthalmologists saw a 28.4% decrease, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
The bureau gathered employment data for 17 physician specialties positions in 2025, including the number of people employed in that position in the U.S., annual mean wage and hourly wage. The data was released May 13. Becker’s collected data on the annual mean wage and number of employed physicians to compare changes between 2024 and 2025.
Overall, physicians saw a 3.9% decrease in the number of employed physicians across all specialties, and surgeons saw a 7.5% drop.
Pediatric surgeons had the greatest increase in pay among all specialties at 11.4%, and dermatologists had the biggest pay cut at 7%.
Here are the 17 specialties by annual wage and the number of employed physicians:
| Specialty | 2025 annual mean pay | % change in pay vs. 2024 | 2025 number employed | % change in employed vs. 2024 |
| Anesthesiologists | $360,570 | 7.1% | 38,760 | -14.4% |
| Cardiologists | $454,940 | 5.2% | 17,290 | -10.9% |
| Dermatologists | $323,530 | -7% | 11,370 | 4.3% |
| Emergency medicine physicians | $317,480 | -1% | 32,880 | -8.9% |
| Family medicine physicians | $255,820 | -0.4% | 107,510 | -7.3% |
| General internal medicine physicians | $267,200 | 1.7% | 67,150 | -8.3% |
| Neurologists | $267,630 | -6.5% | 10,590 | 27.6% |
| Obstetricians and gynecologists | $279,040 | -0.7% | 21,260 | -1.1% |
| Pediatricians, general | $212,110 | -4.6% | 39,390 | -15.1% |
| Physicians, pathologists | $285,420 | 7.3% | 11,110 | -11.8% |
| Psychiatrists | $269,940 | 0.3% | 27,980 | 3.2% |
| Radiologists | $381,530 | 6.0% | 26,770 | -5.1% |
| Physicians, all other | $262,040 | 3.4% | 342,720 | 0.6% |
| Ophthalmologists, except pediatric | $304,650 | 1.0% | 8,950 | -28.4% |
| Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric | $373,570 | 2.3% | 14,100 | -4.1% |
| Pediatric surgeons | $502,050 | 11.4% | 1,190 | 8.2% |
| Surgeons, all other | $373,930 | 0.7% | 25,140 | 0.2% |
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