Name: How Much Money Do Doctors Actually Make?
Uploaded: 2025-11-22T17:56:43.000Z
Duration: 6 min 14 s
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So if you become a doctor, you're guaranteed to make loads of cash, right?

Jubbal medschoolinsiders.com There's a massive difference in how much doctors make up to $500,000 a year based on your specialty of choice alone.

Let's break down what doctors actually make and what career decisions impact pay.

So how much does an average doctor in the US make in a year?

The most recent data puts the average doctor's salary in the US at around $374,000.

But here's the however doesn't actually tell you much about what you could end up making as a doctor.

It's like saying the average temperature between Alaska and Hawaii is 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sure, it's technically accurate, but it tells you nothing about what to actually expect when you step outside.

That single number masks an extreme difference in pay within the medical profession.

Over half a million dollars between the lowest and highest paid specialties.

A pediatric endocrinologist might pull in around $230,000, while a neurosurgeon can average a staggering $749,000.

It's in the massive variation between specialties.

The first major divide in doctor compensation comes down to this do you perform procedures?

Doctors get paid through RVUs, or relative value units.

Medicare and insurance companies use RVUs to determine how much physicians should be reimbursed for their services.

Take two doctors spending one hour working.

An internal medicine physician generates approximate 3.5 RVUs, translating to about $116 in reimbursement.

Meanwhile, a surgeon operating for that same Hour generates around 10 RVUs, bringing in about $333.

That's an immediate $217 per hour difference for the same amount of time worked.

The system rewards procedures over office visits.

This is precisely why surgical and procedural specialties dominate the highest paid list.

We covered how RVUs work in detail in a previous video link in the Description the next factor that impacts doctor pay is specialization.

All doctors in the US need to complete a three to seven year residency after medical school, but

You can complete an internal medicine residency in three years and become a physician, earning an average of $326,000 per year.

Or you can further train with a three year cardiology fellowship and make $587,000 a year as a cardiologist.

In general, the more you train, the more you'll be paid are exceptions.

Endocrinology is a subspecialization of internal medicine that requires two additional years of fellowship training.

But despite the extra years, the average endocrinologist only makes $291,000, over $30,000 less than the average IM physician.

In previous videos, we've covered the subspecialty options of internal medicine, surgery, radiology, anesthesiology and more.

Check out that playlist linked in the description.

Another exception is pediatric fields, which can have longer training periods yet result in low again.

Since children are naturally more resilient and quicker to bounce back than adults, they require fewer procedures, which means pediatricians generate fewer RVUs.

Hospitals make less money from children, which results in doctors being paid less.

Now let's look at the broad salary spectrum across the highest and lowest paid specialties, excluding pediatric subspecialties.

Medical genetics ranks last at $260,000 per year.

General pediatricians make $265,000 a year.

Family medicine is also one of the lowest paid at $319,000.

Other popular specialties that round out the middle include psychiatry at $342,000, as talk therapy simply doesn't generate RVUs like procedures do.

Even with its high pressure environment and unpredictable hours, emergency medicine has an average salary of $411,000.

But as we move into surgical procedural specialties, the numbers jump significantly.

Thoracic surgery is the second highest at $690,000.

These surgeons operate on the heart, lungs and esophagus, performing complex cardiac procedures that are life or death.

And at the very top is neurosurgery, averaging $749,000.

But to become a neurosurgeon, you're looking at seven or more years of residency training after.

Not only that, neurosurgeons also have some of the worst work life balance in medicine.

As they say, neurosurgeons make the most money, but they have no time to spend it.

While compensation may impact your specialty decision, it shouldn't be one of the top factors you consider.

What's more important is that you actually like the work and can handle the day to day of a career that will span decades.

Are you unsure which specialty is the best fit for you?

I recommend specialtyquiz.com, it's a free quiz that matches your preferences, skills and interests to ideal doctor careers.

There's one more piece of the puzzle that can shift your salary.

Your practice type There are three main academic medicine, community or hospital employed positions and private practice.

Academic medicine typically pays the lowest.

When you're researching and teaching students, you have less time for clinical work, which means fewer RVUs are generated.

The trade off is more job security and benefits.

Hospital employed positions fall in the middle as you get a stable salary, benefits and a predictable schedule.

There's no risk, but there's also limited upside.

You're the boss and you keep what you generate.

This is precisely why specialties like plastic surgery and dermatology can be so lucrative.

Many of these doctors run private practices focused on high margin procedures that aren't limited by insurance reimbursement rates.

While practice type does influence compensation, the first and most critical decision a future doctor must make is which specialty to pursue.

Get ideas, including specialties you may not have considered before@specialtyquiz.com.