2023 Physician Compensation Report: Average Salaries by Specialty

Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2023 Highlights

Overall average: $339,000 (wide range by specialty).

Top-Earning Specialties

• Plastic Surgery: $619,000
• Orthopedics: $573,000
• Cardiology: $507,000
• Otolaryngology: $486,000
• Urology: $461,000
• Gastroenterology: $453,000
• Dermatology: $438,000
• Radiology: $437,000
• Ophthalmology: $417,000
• Anesthesiology: $405,000

Lower-Earning Specialties

• Pediatrics: $244,000
• Family Medicine: $255,000
• Public Health/Preventive: $249,000
• Diabetes/Endocrinology: $257,000
• Infectious Disease: $260,000
• Internal Medicine: $264,000
• Psychiatry: $287,000
• Rheumatology: $289,000
• Neurology: $301,000

Key Variables

• Geography (highest: North Central, Southeast; lowest: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic)
• Practice type (owner > partner > employed)
• Hours worked, call burden, ancillary revenue
• Gender gap persists (~25% less for women after adjustment)

Data: 10,000+ US physicians surveyed Oct 2022–Jan 2023.