Here are 10 statistics illustrating the landscape surrounding orthopedic pay in 2025 and what may change in the year ahead:
1. The average annual wage for orthopedic surgeons, not including pediatrics, in the U.S. is $365,060, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2. Orthopedics saw a 3% decline in average annual pay from 2024 to 2025, according to a survey from Medscape. Despite this drop, the specialty has seen an overall pay hike of more than 25% since 2015.
3. Orthopedics and orthopedic surgery is the highest-paid medical specialty, according to a Medscape survey that polled 7,000 physicians across 29 specialties.
4. Virginia, Alabama, Illinois and South Carolina made up the five states where orthopedic surgeon pay increased the most.
5. Ohio experienced the largest decrease in the average annual wage for orthopedic surgeons, dropping more than $181,000.
6. Orthopedic surgeons in employed settings can see a 49% increase in average salary from early to midcareer, according to Medscape.
7. Nationwide, orthopedic surgeons with one to seven years of experience earn an average of $410,000 annually.
8. While compensation peaks between 15 and 21 years of experience, surgeons later in their careers still earn more than $200,000 above early career peers.
9. Orthopedic surgeons in self-employed settings start higher and peak at $750,000 in midcareer, about $110,000 more than employed peers at the same stage. Even with a late-career dip, self-employed surgeons average $690,000.
10. Among orthopedic surgeons with one to seven years of experience, men earn 48% more than women in employed roles, averaging $443,021 compared to $299,971. In self-employed settings, men earn $525,463, while women earn $346,483 — a 52% gap.
