Name: Lowest Paid Doctor Specialties in 2026
Uploaded: 2026-02-07T18:20:02.000Z
Duration: 5 min 48 s
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A neurosurgeon makes over $749,000 a year, the lowest paid doctor less than $260,000.

Both are doctors, but one makes nearly $500,000 more a year.

Here are the 10 lowest paid medical specialties in 2026 Dr. Jubbal medschoolinsiders.com Quick note before we begin.

We're excluding pediatric subspecialties.

Otherwise, 7 out of our 10 lowest paid specialties would be pediatric subspecialties.

Starting us off at number 10 is rheumatology.

At $325,000 a year, rheumatologists treat diseases of the joints, musculoskeletal system and connective tissue.

Think rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and osteoporosis.

The lifestyle is solid with few emergencies and no middle of the night calls.

After a three year internal medicine residency plus a two year fellowship, rheumatologists actually make less than general internists who choose not to specialize.

In other words, you don't get into rheumatology.

The Money at number nine is infectious disease at $321,000.

ID physicians diagnose and treat complex infections, whether bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic.

Training is a three year internal medicine residency followed by a two year fellowship similar to rheumatology.

Despite doing a fellowship after an internal medicine residency, you make less than if you went straight into practice after finishing your IM training work.

Life balance is generally good, though outbreak situations can quickly change that.

Coming in at number 8 is family medicine.

At 319 family medicine doctors treat the broadest range of patients, from newborns to seniors, across every organ system and every condition.

It's a three year residency with excellent work, life balance and minimal call.

Family medicine is also consistently the least competitive medical specialty.

By looking@specialtyrank.com, we can see it at the bottom of the list across every year for the last decade.

You can also check other specialties too with both current and historic data.

Plus you can customize the weightings of each variable.

A new set of official data being released this summer and I'm super curious to see how things shake up.

Subscribe if you want to see those updates on the latest competitiveness rankings.

At number seven is preventive medicine at $310,000.

Preventive medicine focuses on disease prevention and population health.

Think screenings, lifestyle interventions and public health initiatives.

Training typically lasts three years and emergencies are essentially non existent.

Next at number six is Allergy and Immunology.

These physicians treat allergies, asthma and immune dis.

Training requires a three year residency in internal medicine or pediatrics followed by a two year fellowship.

The lifestyle is excellent with very few emergencies and predictable hours.

Check out our so youo Want to Be episode which takes a deep dive into this career path.

Link in the Description at number five is Medicine Pediatrics, also known as MedPeds.

MedPeds is a combined four year residency that trains you in both adult and pediatric medicine.

You're board certified in both and giving you flexibility to see patients of all ages.

Interestingly, applicants who match into med PEDs have higher average step 2 scores than those in either pediatrics or internal medicine alone, ranking 13th in competitiveness.

Coming in at number four is geriatrics, at $292,000.

Geriatricians focus on the unique medical needs of elderly patients.

Training consists of a three year family medicine or internal medicine residency followed by a one year fellowship.

This is another case where subspecializing actually means earning less than staying a generalist.

But with the US Population aging rapidly, demand for geriatricians continues to grow, which may increase compensation.

In the number three spot is endocrinology, at $291,000.

Endocrinologists treat hormonal disorders like diabetes, thyroid conditions and metabolic diseases.

Training takes five to six years, a three year internal medicine residency plus a two to three year fellowship.

It offers a good lifestyle with few emergencies, but

it also means more training than a general internist for less pay.

At $265,000 a year, pediatricians provide care for patients from birth through age 25.

Since that's how long the brain is in development, it's a three year residency with numerous fellowship options.

So why does pediatric medicine pay less reimbursement rates?

Many children are covered by Medicaid, which reimburses at a lower rate than commercial insurance.

And since the US Healthcare system runs on a fee for service model, fewer interventions means less ren revenue.

The frustrating part is that subspecializing in pediatrics often means earning even less than general pediatricians.

Pediatric endocrinologists, for example, make around $230,000.

That's $35,000 less than general pediatricians, despite years of additional training.

Pediatric surgery is among the highest paying specialties in medicine, although that comes as a fellowship after general surgery.

Check the link in the description and in the number one spot for lowest paid medical specialty is medical genetics.

At $260,000 a year, medical geneticists diagnose, manage and counsel patients with hereditary disorders.

They work with patients of all ages, from preconception counseling to adult onset genetic conditions.

Training is among the shortest at three years, and

the lifestyle offers a good variety of direct patient care, research, teaching and counseling.

The field continues to grow as genomic medicine advances, but compensation hasn't caught up.

Find out if you have the stats to be competitive@specialtyrank.com and explore what these specialties are really like in our so youo Want to Be series right up here.