Neurosurgeons are the most highly paid specialists, followed by thoracic surgeons and orthopedic surgeons. Many pediatric specialists were among the lowest paid, according to Doximity’s “Physician Compensation Report 2025.”
The report examines data from 37,000 physicians surveyed last year. The average physician reported a 3.7% increase in pay, beneath the nearly 6% increase reported last year.
“The modest growth comes amid several consecutive years of reimbursement cuts – a trend that many physicians worry could impact their ability to care for Medicare and Medicaid patients in the near future,” the report notes. “Many physicians also believe that current reimbursement policy has contributed to the steady decline of independent practices in their fields.”
The specialty with the highest pay growth was pediatric nephrology at 15.6%, followed by preventative medicine at 10% and pediatric medicine at 8.5%.
Below are the 20 highest and lowest paid physician specialties from Doximity.
Highest paid:
- Neurology: $749,140
- Thoracic surgery: $689,969
- Orthopedic surgery: $679,517
- General pediatric surgery: $647,721
- Plastic surgery: $621,445
- Oral and maxillofacial surgery: $616,748
- Radiation oncology: $588,678
- Cardiology: $587,360
- Vascular surgery: $576,452
- Interventional radiology: $572,617
- Radiology: $571,749
- Urology: $559,474
- Gastroenterology: $573,870
- Otolaryngology: $523,369
- Anesthesia: $523,277
- Dermatology: $508,401
- Oncology: $502,465
- Colon and rectal surgery: $487,085
- General surgery: $482,574
- Ophthalmology: $477,232
Lowest paid:
- Pediatric endocrinology: $230,426
- Pediatric rheumatology: $231,574
- Pediatric infectious disease: $248,322
- Pediatric hematology and oncology: $255,733
- Medical genetics: $259,564
- Pediatric nephrology: $263,031
- Pediatrics: $265,230
- Pediatric pulmonology: $282,000
- Child neurology: $289,738
- Endocrinology: $290,606
- Geriatrics: $291,968
- Medicine / pediatrics: $296,665
- Pediatric gastroenterology: $298,457
- Allergy and immunology: $308,846
- Preventative medicine: $310,177
- Pediatric emergency medicine: $312,271
- Family medicine: $318,959
- Infectious disease: $320,730
- Rheumatology: $324,954
- Internal medicine: $326,116