Cardiologist was the top-paid physician specialty in 2022, followed by orthopedic surgeon and pediatric surgeon, according to an Oct. 16 report from USA Facts, a nonprofit organization that conducts data analysis.
The report used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to identify 17 specialities among physicians and surgeons and calculate their average annual wages.
The bureau found approximately 816,900 Americans work as physicians or surgeons as of May 2022. The median annual wage was $229,300, nearly five times more than the country's general median wage, which was $46,310.
Here are 17 specialties ranked by their average annual wages:
Cardiologists — $421,330
Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric — $371,400
Pediatric surgeons — $362,970
Surgeons, all other — $347,870
Radiologists — $329,080
Dermatologists — $327,650
Emergency medicine physicians — $316,600
Anesthesiologists — $302,970
OB-GYN — $277,320
Ophthalmologists, except pediatric — $265,450
Neurologists — $255,510
Physician pathologists — $252,850
Psychiatrists — $247,350
Physicians, all other — $238,700
General internal medicine physicians — $225,270
Family medicine physicians — $224,460
Pediatricians, general — $203,240