Name: Highest Paid Doctor Specialties in 2026 (💰New Leaders)
Uploaded: 2026-01-17T18:26:15.000Z
Duration: 7 min 26 s
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Every doctor makes six figures, but the gap between specialties is massive.

The highest paid physicians earn nearly double what some of their colleagues make.

Here are the top 10 highest paid medical specialties in 2026 Dr. Jubbal medschoolinsiders.com Starting us off at number 10 is Radiology at $572,000 a year, Diagnostic radiologists interpret imaging studies.

Think X rays, CT scans and MRIs to diagnose disease.

It's a five year residency with one of the best work life balances in medicine regular hours, minimal call and you're rarely running to emergencies.

At number nine and less than $1,000 more in pay is Interventional Radiology at $573,000.

The difference is Interventional radiologists don't just interpret images, they use imaging guidance to perform minimally invasive procedures, actually treating patients rather than solely diagnosing them.

Despite the similar salary, training is significantly longer at 6 to 7 years comp 5 for diagnostic radiology and the lifestyle is more demanding, with call responsibilities that diagnostic radiologists don't have to deal with.

Interventional radiology isn't the only subspecialty of radiology.

We've covered those in a previous video linked in the description.

Coming in at number eight is vascular surgery at $576,000 a year.

Vascular surgeons operate on arteries and veins throughout the body, excluding the brain and heart vas.

Think aortic aneurysms, blood clots and carotid artery disease.

The pay is strong, but the lifestyle is tough with heavy call, long hours and unpredictable schedules.

Training is five years if you match directly, or six to seven years if you pursue it as a fellowship after general surgery.

At number seven is cardiology at $587,000, which is the highest paid internal medicine subspecialty and its most competitive fellowship.

To match into, cardiologists treat diseases of the heart and vascular system like heart failure, hypertension and heart attacks.

Given that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. demand is high.

The lifestyle varies depending on your focus.

Procedural cardiologists may get called in for emergencies, while those running heart failure or electrophysiology clinics have more predictable hours.

Training requires a three year internal medicine residency followed by a three year cardiology fellowship, with many choosing to subspecialize even further.

For a full breakdown of all internal medicine subspecialties, check out our subspecialties video linked in the description.

Next at number six is radiation oncology at $589,000.

Radiation oncologists treat cancer using radiation therapy, working closely with medical and surgical oncologists as part of a multidisciplinary team.

What sets this specialty apart is the lifestyle.

Most radiation oncologists work 45 to 50 hours a week with minimal call.

It's a five year residency, making it one of the better combination combinations of high pay and work life balance in medicine.

At $621,000 a year, plastic surgery covers both reconstructive and aesthetic procedures, everything from cleft palate repairs to rhinoplasties and breast augmentations.

Aesthetic plastic surgeons typically earn more than their reconstructive colleagues.

The lifestyle is solid, COL usually isn't bad, and most surgeries aren't emergencies.

Plastic surgery consistently ranks in the top three most competitive specialties after year based on our latest competitiveness index.

It currently sits at number three after holding the number one spot in both 2020 and 2022.

Stay tuned for our updated list coming summer 2026 when new data is released and view current and historic rankings@specialtyrank.com There are two training the integrated route, which is six years straight out of med school, or the independent route, which requires completing a five year general surgery residency before three additional years of plastic surgery training.

And here's the thing, plastic surgery isn't alone.

Many of the highest paid specialties are also the most competitive, including the number one spot on this list, which we'll get to shortly.

If you're serious about matching into one of these high paying, high competition fields, you need to start preparing years in advance.

That means strong step two scores, extensive research lists and standout letters of recommendation.

Want to know if you're actually competitive for your dream Specialty?

Go to specialtypredictor.com it uses official match data to show you where you stand and what you need to improve before you apply to that specialty.

At number four is pediatric surgery at $648,000.

This is the first time pediatric surgery has appeared on our highest paid list, not because compensation jumped dramatically, but because doximity only recently began including it in their salary reports.

Pediatric surgeons operate on infants, children and adolescents, treating everything from congenital anomalies to tumors to trauma.

The stakes are high and the lifestyle is demanding.

Training is lengthy, requiring a five year general surgery residency followed by a two year pediatric surgery fellowship, which makes seven years total after medical school.

And the number three spot is orthopedic surgery at $680,000 a year.

Orthopedic surgeons treat the musculoskeletal system, so their focus is on bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles.

Whether it's trauma, sports injuries or joint replacements, Ortho covers it all.

The paycheck is substantial, but lifestyle varies by subspecial call, can be unpredictable and hours are often long.

Ortho consistently ranks in the top five most competitive specialties.

Training is a five year residency with many surgeons pursuing additional fellowship training.

At number two is thoracic surgery at $690,000.

Thoracic surgeons, also known as cardiothoracic surgeons, operate on the heart, lungs, aorta, esophagus and other structures in the chest cavity.

They perform heart transplants, lung resections and coronary artery bypass grafts.

The compensation reflects the difficulty.

Surgeries routinely last four to eight hours and complications can push that to 12.

Work life balance is essentially non existent.

Training takes five to seven years, depending on your pathway.

Integrated, independent or combined tracks are all options.

At the top of the list is neurosurgery, at $749,000 a year, making it the highest paid specialty in medicine.

Neurosurgeons operate on the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves.

The work is technically demanding and the stakes couldn't be higher.

There's a saying in medicine Neurosurgeons make the most money, but they have no time to spend it.

Long surgeries and unpredictable hours are the norm, not the exception.

Neurosurgery also has the longest residency in medicine at seven years, and it's consistently one of the top five most competitive specialties to match into.

It's currently ranked number two on our competitiveness index, with applicants averaging 37.4 research items, the highest of any specialty.

You can access the most up to date NRMP specialty data@specialtyrank.com to ensure you're prepared no matter the specialty you choose.

It's the most comprehensive specialty competition breakdown available and it's completely free.

Look back at prior years to see how competitiveness has shifted and manipulate the data to align with your priorities.

To explore the specialties you're most curious about, check out our so youo Want to Be playlist right up here.