The same specialties typically get ranked at the top of annual compensation surveys year after year. But how do the numbers look when factoring in hours on the job?
Annual compensation surveys across physician specialties get a lot of attention every year. And it’s understandable. Physicians are competitive by nature. It’s natural to be curious about what your colleagues are potentially earning.
But burnout and work-life balance are important considerations too. That is why we calculated an average hourly rate by specialty, using the latest annual numbers from the Medscape 2022 Compensation Report, and average hours worked as reported by the American Association of Medical Colleges.
Keep in mind, the average hours worked per week were reported prior to COVID. And it’s important to note that there can be significant variation both in hours worked and in the salary figures based on practice type, location and more.
Our estimates assume 50 weeks of work per year. We are displaying all the data so you can estimate your own hourly rate.
| Specialty | Hourly Rate | Average Annual Salary | Average Hours Worked per Week |
| Neurosurgery | $267 | $773,201 | 58 |
| Plastic Surgery | $222 | $576,000 | 52 |
| Orthopedic Surgery | $195 | $557,000 | 57 |
| Dermatology | $195 | $438,000 | 45 |
| Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) | $177 | $469,000 | 53 |
| Cardiology | $169 | $490,000 | 58 |
| Emergency Medicine | $162 | $373,000 | 46 |
| Radiology | $151 | $437,000 | 58 |
| Physical Medicine & Rehab | $143 | $322,000 | 45 |
| Pathology | $136 | $334,000 | 49 |
| General Surgery | $136 | $402,000 | 59 |
| Anesthesiology | $133 | $405,000 | 61 |
| Psychiatry | $122 | $287,000 | 47 |
| Allergy & Immunology | $122 | $298,000 | 49 |
| Neurology | $118 | $301,000 | 51 |
| ObGyn | $116 | $336,000 | 58 |
| Preventive Medicine | $108 | $243,000 | 45 |
| Rheumatology | $107 | $289,000 | 54 |
| Endocrinology | $105 | $257,000 | 49 |
| Pediatrics | $104 | $244,000 | 47 |
| Infectious Disease | $98 | $260,000 | 53 |
| Family Medicine | $96 | $255,000 | 53 |
| Internal Medicine | $96 | $264,000 | 55 |
- It’s not surprising to see specialists at the top of the list and primary care specialties towards the bottom.
- Anesthesiologists are logging long hours and ranking in the middle tier of hourly rate.
- Dermatologists are in the sweet spot with good work-life balance and strong income. Not surprisingly, it’s one of the most competitive fields to get into.
- PCPs are working hard for less monetary reward: a surprise to no one.
Despite the variations in income, most physicians still say they did not choose medicine for the monetary rewards. In recent surveys, when asked whether they would still choose their same specialty if they had to do it again, the answers range.
More than 95% of dermatologists, orthopedists, plastic surgeons and GIs would repeat their choice of specialty. That number drops to roughly two-thirds of PCPs.
