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The Daily Insight

What type of doctor gets paid the most 2020?

Author

Matthew Barrera

Updated on April 01, 2026

orthopedics
According to Medscape, the highest-paying specialty in 2020 is orthopedics, with an average compensation of $511,000, while public health and preventive medicine and pediatrics are tied for the lowest-paying specialty, with an average compensation of $232,000.

How is physician compensation determined?

Essentially, physicians are paid a percentage of either billings or collections, or they are paid based on the resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS) units assigned to procedures or patient-visit types. The overhead costs of the practice — both fixed and variable — are allocated among the physicians.

How much revenue does a physician generate for a hospital?

Independent and employed physicians generate an average of about $2.38 million each for their affiliated hospitals, according to survey results released by Merritt Hawkins last year.

Who Is Highest-paid doctor?

Top 19 highest-paying doctor jobs

  • Surgeon.
  • Dermatologist.
  • Orthopedist.
  • Urologist.
  • Neurologist. National average salary: $237,309 per year.
  • Orthodontist. National average salary: $259,163 per year.
  • Anesthesiologist. National average salary: $328,526 per year.
  • Cardiology physician. National average salary: $345,754 per year.

Where do physicians get paid the most?

Top 10 highest paying states for physicians in 2020

  • Florida.
  • Alabama.
  • Utah.
  • Ohio.
  • Oklahoma.
  • Indiana.
  • North Carolina. With average physician pay of $325,000, North Carolina is also ranked as one of the best states to practice in 2020.
  • Georgia. Rounding out the top ten, physicians working in Georgia earn $323,000 on average.

What is the most profitable surgery?

The World’s 50 Most Profitable Companies

RankCompanyProfit ($M)
1Saudi Aramco88211
2Berkshire Hathaway81417
3Apple55256
4Industrial & Commercial Bank of China45195

Who makes the most money in the hospital?

Physicians and Surgeons Surgeons earn more than physicians typically, with neurosurgeons topping the list, as some earn over a million dollars annually. Orthopedic surgeons and plastic surgeons are also high earners.

Who are the highest paying doctors?

The highest-paid physician specialties Specialists in plastic surgery earned the highest physician salary in 2020 — an average of $526,000. Orthopedics/orthopedic surgery is the next-highest specialty ($511,000 annually), followed by cardiology at $459,000 annually.

What is the lowest paid health profession?

20 Lowest-Paying Healthcare Jobs.

  • Therapists.
  • Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians.
  • Hearing Aid Specialists.
  • Exercise Physiologists.
  • Occupational Health and Safety Technicians.
  • Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians.
  • Respiratory Therapy Technicians.
  • Methods of physician compensation varied by ownership status, practice type, and specialty. The average compensation share from salary was higher for physicians who were employees compared to those who were owners of their practice (69.9 percent compared to 30.1 percent).

    Which medical specialty earns the highest salary?

    Neurosurgeon. Neurosurgery is the highest-paid specialty in the medical profession.

  • Invasive Cardiology.
  • Orthopedic Surgery.
  • Gastroenterology.
  • Radiology.
  • Urology.
  • Dermatology.
  • Plastic/ Reconstructive Surgery.
  • How much money does a doctor get?

    Overall, the average physician salary—including both primary doctors and specialists—was $313,000 annually, according to the 2019 Medscape Physician Compensation Report. Not only is this an impressive average salary, but it’s also a significant increase from salary averages reported by Medscape in 2015.

    What is the hardest kind of surgeon to become?

    Competitive programs that are the most difficult to match into include:

    • Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery.
    • Dermatology.
    • General Surgery.
    • Neurosurgery.
    • Orthopedic Surgery.
    • Ophthalmology.
    • Otolaryngology.
    • Plastic Surgery.

    Who earns more MS or MD?

    There’s a huge difference in the salary range as well. Just like in most other fields, when you are an MBBS graduate, you may get INR 30,000 per month to something more than that, usually up to INR 1 Lakh. However, as an MD in India, you get INR 2–20 Lakhs, and as an MS in India, you get INR 4–35 Lakhs.

    How many doctors are employed and how much do they make?

    Employed physicians earn less than their self-employed peers (but also face fewer burdens) Physician employment has been on the upswing, and according to Medscape’s 2018 report, 69% of physicians are employed.

    Who are the lowest paid doctors in the US?

    Even so, only 51% of physicians in orthopedics said they felt fairly compensated, which was 4% below the average for all physicians. The lowest-paid specialties—internal medicine, family practice, and pediatrics—reported earning less than half of the annual salary of those in the top.

    What’s the average salary of a primary care physician?

    Physician salaries continue to grow Prior to the pandemic, physician salaries in 2020 continued to grow. PCPs (primary care physicians) reported earning an average salary of $243,000, compared to $237,000 in 2019, while specialists earned an average of $346,000, compared to $341,000 in 2019. Highest average physician salary by specialty

    What was the salary of a doctor in 2020?

    While COVID-19 made 2020 a difficult year for doctors, Medscape’s 2021 physician salary report found that physician income in 2020 was similar to numbers reported for 2019. However, 92% of those who experienced a drop in income attributed it to COVID-19-related factors, including fewer hours and fewer patients.