Which Medical Specialties Pay the Most in 2025? A U.S. Overview

Transitioning into a healthcare career comes with many considerations—one of the most common being how much physicians earn. While salary shouldn't be your sole driver when selecting a medical specialty, understanding earning potential is crucial, especially for pre-med, nursing, and PA students exploring global health internships with Go Elective.

At Go Elective, we provide future healthcare professionals like you with immersive clinical experiences abroad to help clarify your career goals. Below, we explore the top-earning medical specialties in the U.S. and the many factors that influence physician compensation.

Top Medical Specialties by Salary in 2025/26

Physician earnings vary significantly depending on specialty. Here's an updated snapshot of some of the highest-paying specialties this year:

(Source: Medscape, LinkedIn, Indeed 2025/26 projections)

Factors That Influence Physician Salaries

While specialty is the largest driver of salary, other factors like practice setting and location also play major roles. Whether you choose to work in private practice or as a hospital-employed physician can impact your long-term earnings.

1. Private Practice vs. Employment:

Physicians who run private practices tend to earn more but also bear the burden of running a business. In contrast, employed doctors may earn slightly less but benefit from a steady paycheck and fewer administrative responsibilities.

2. Geographic Differences:

Interestingly, states with lower population density, such as Kentucky and Alabama, often offer higher physician incomes compared to larger states like California and New York, due to fewer healthcare providers per capita.

3. Primary Care vs. Specialization

Primary care doctors—including those in family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics—typically earn less than their specialist counterparts. However, they often graduate with less debt due to shorter training periods and are able to enter the workforce earlier.

At Go Elective, many of our interns interested in primary care gain vital clinical exposure in underserved areas of Kenya and Tanzania, where generalists play an essential role in community healthcare delivery. Learn more about Go Elective's international pre-med and medical internships here.

MD vs. DO Earnings in Competitive Specialties

While MD and DO physicians earn comparable salaries when working within the same specialty, DOs tend to be underrepresented in competitive surgical fields. However, with the ACGME's unified accreditation system, DOs have increasing access to specialties like orthopedics, dermatology, and cardiology.

Healthcare Economics: Why Some Specialties Pay More

High-earning specialties often perform resource-intensive procedures or operate in areas where specialized care is in demand, such as surgery or interventional cardiology. These fields generate significant revenue for hospitals and private practices alike.

The Shift Toward Value-Based Care

U.S. healthcare is slowly shifting from volume-based models (rewarding quantity) to value-based models (rewarding patient outcomes and quality). This trend may affect future earnings, especially for procedure-heavy specialties.

The Role of Global Clinical Experience in Career Decisions

Shadowing physicians abroad through Go Elective's internships gives students a competitive edge when applying to residency programs. You'll experience how global health disparities influence medical careers while exploring diverse specialties like internal medicine, pediatrics, and surgery in real-world settings.

Get started on your clinical journey today! Explore our medical internships abroad and discover how global exposure can help you choose a specialty that aligns with your passion—and your professional goals.

Article Details

Categories

Recent Articles , Pre-health, Medical Electives,

Author: Go-Elective Abroad

Date Published: May 7, 2025