Physician CME allowances ranked, from $2,500 to $5,000

Eleven physician specialties report a median continuing medical education allowance of $5,000 a year, according to a Sept. 24 analysis from clinician salary and job listing platform Marit.

The analysis draws on salary submissions from 22,647 physicians and 8,405 advanced practice providers as of August 2026. Surgical and hospital-based specialties led the ranking. Primary care and cognitive specialties reported lower allowances. About 70% of physicians overall report a CME allowance, at a median of $4,000.

Specialties are ranked by median reported allowance, then by the share of physicians reporting one. Only specialties with at least 30 CME reports are included.

Here are the median CME allowances for 34 specialties, with the share of physicians who report one:

1. Otolaryngology: $5,000 (74.9%)
2. Pathology: $5,000 (74.2%)
3. General surgery: $5,000 (73.8%)
4. Pulmonology: $5,000 (73.5%)
5. Urology: $5,000 (71.9%)
6. Hematology oncology: $5,000 (70.1%)
7. Radiation oncology: $5,000 (68.8%)
8. Orthopedic surgery: $5,000 (63.9%)
9. Plastic surgery: $5,000 (63.7%)
10. Radiology: $5,000 (61.9%)
11. Neurosurgery: $5,000 (60.8%)
12. Anesthesiology: $4,200 (60.4%)
13. Neurology: $4,000 (73.3%)
14. Internal medicine: $4,000 (72.7%)
15. Cardiology: $4,000 (69.1%)
16. Rheumatology: $4,000 (69.1%)
17. Dermatology: $4,000 (68.3%)
18. Oncology: $4,000 (62.8%)
19. Emergency medicine: $4,000 (61%)
20. Infectious disease: $3,800 (72.1%)
21. Ophthalmology: $3,800 (66.6%)
22. Urgent care: $3,500 (84.3%)
23. Endocrinology: $3,500 (81%)
24. Family medicine: $3,500 (79.2%)
25. Obstetrics and gynecology: $3,500 (73.8%)
26. Physical medicine and rehabilitation: $3,500 (70.5%)
27. Gastroenterology: $3,500 (68.1%)
28. Allergy and immunology: $3,500 (67%)
29. Pediatrics: $3,000 (76.4%)
30. Psychiatry: $3,000 (64.3%)
31. Nephrology: $3,000 (64.1%)
32. Oral and maxillofacial surgery: $3,000 (45.5%)
33. Podiatry: $2,500 (68.5%)
34. Preventive medicine: $2,500 (61.1%)

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