Neurosurgeons are the highest-paid physician specialty in 2025, earning an average of nearly $750,000 annually, according to Doximity’s “Physician Compensation Report 2025.”
Neurosurgery was the only specialty to eclipse an average annual salary of $700,000, but five other physician specialties earned an average of more than $600,000.
The average salary for physicians in the U.S. increased 3.7% from 2023 to 2024. The year prior, average physician compensation increased 5.9%.
Doximity examined data from about 230,000 survey responses over the past six years, including responses from 37,000 U.S. physicians in 2024.
Here are the 20 highest-paid physician specialties, according to Doximity:
- 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
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