Despite decreases in average annual salary, orthopedic surgeons remain as one of the highest-paying physician specialties and out earn other top-paying jobs outside of healthcare.
Four notes:
1. Orthopedics is the highest-paid physician specialty, according to Medscape’s “Physician Compensation Report 2025” with average annual salaries of $543,000.
Here are the 10 highest-paid specialties:
Orthopedic and orthopedic surgery: $543,000
Radiology: $520,000
Plastic surgery: $516,000
Cardiology: $506,000
Anesthesiology: $499,000
Gastroenterology: $495,000
Urology: $485,000
Otolaryngology: $473,000
Oncology and hematology: $452,000
Dermatology: $424,000
2. According to Medscape, orthopedics saw a decline in average annual pay. Here are the 15 physician specialities that saw pay declines.
Dermatology: -11%
Neurology: -6%
Urology: -6%
Plastic surgery: -4%
Cardiology: -4%
Ophthalmology: -4%
Gastroenterology: -3%
Rheumatology: -3%
Orthopedic surgery: -3%
Pulmonary medicine: -3%
Oncology: -2%
Public Health and preventative medicine: -2%
Emergency medicine: -1%
General surgery: -1%
Pediatrics: -1%
3. Orthopedic surgeons, not including pediatrics, also saw decreases in pay, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent salary data. As of May 2024 the mean orthopedic surgeon salary was $365,060, down from $378,250 as of May 2023.
4. Outside of healthcare, jobs with the highest median salaries in the U.S. in 2025 include pilots ($219,140), chief executives ($206,680) and IT managers ($169,510), according to U.S. News & World Report.
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