The highest-paid doctors in the US are in surgical and procedural specialties such as neurosurgery, thoracic, and orthopedic surgery. These physicians earn an average annual salary of $600,000 or higher.
In their 2021 survey, Doximity found that neurosurgeons make the most money of any specialty, and pediatric infectious disease doctors make the least. Of the doctors surveyed, neurosurgeons outearned pediatric infectious disease doctors by an average of more than $500,000 last year.
Urology remains one of the more stressful medical specialties, however. In fact, the Occupational Information Network, a part of the Department of Labor, ranked urology as the most stressful job in the US.
Neurosurgeons have the highest hourly compensation in the country at $398 per hour, while family physicians have the lowest at $119 per hour.
Cardio-thoracic surgery (Surgery) - [Non-metro], Neurosurgery (Surgery), Orthopaedic surgery (Surgery), Otolaryngology – head and neck surgery (Surgery), Plastic surgery (Surgery) - [Non-metro], and Vascular surgery (Surgery) are listed as Reasonable career opportunities with Between 1% and 25% increase over a total ...
The most common are in hospitals, private practices, academic institutions, ambulatory surgery centers, government service, military service, and institutional practices.
Wisconsin physicians earned the highest salary on average in 2022, according to Medscape's 2023 "Physician Compensation Report." The study surveyed more than 10,000 physicians across 29 specialties. Indiana, Connecticut, Missouri and Florida scored in the top 10 states for the second year in a row.
MD, or Doctor of Medicine, is the highest academic degree for surgeons and physicians. It can be a professional doctorate, as in the case of USA and Canada, or a research degree, as in countries following the UK tradition.
Physicians' happiness varies greatly by specialty, with plastic surgeons reporting the most contentment outside of work, a Feb. 24 Medscape report found.
Neurosurgeons have one of the most competitive and longest residencies. They also earn exceptionally well for their highly specialized work.
Though they tend to be more stressful medical fields—neurosurgery, thoracic surgery, and orthopedic surgery are also generally regarded as providing some of the best lifestyles for physicians.
Surgeons require a medical degree to become licensed medical practitioners. Before applying to medical school, they must first complete a bachelor's degree and take the MCAT. Most aspiring surgeons choose an undergraduate major in biology, biochemistry, or human physiology.
Least stressful specialties by burnout rate
According to the American College of Surgeons, plastic surgery is constantly changing, so those who specialize in this field will encounter new opportunities and smarter strategies almost every day.
Neurosurgery comes out on top, followed by thoracic surgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery.
The most common occupation among the nation's top 1% of earners ($207,000+ annual income) is medical doctor.
Surgeons work an average of 50 to 60 hours per week, and this does not include their on-call hours. Surgeons' shifts can be anywhere from 12 to 28 hours long. Many private surgical practices and hospitals do not allow surgeons to work for over 80 hours a week.
Surgeons score highly on conscientiousness, which means that they are methodical, reliable, and generally plan out things in advance. They also tend to be high on the measure of social responsibility, indicating that they desire fair outcomes and have a general concern for others.