Four specialties have seen average salary increases of more than $100,000 in the last five years, according to data from Medscape's "Physician Compensation Report" for 2023 and 2018.
Out of 29 specialties, the average annual salaries among four — urology, plastic surgery, otolaryngology and oncology — have increased by more than $100,000 since 2018. For comparison, the average salary for emergency medicine, the specialty with the smallest five-year pay increase, has grown by only $2,000.
Here is a breakdown of the salary changes among the four specialties with the highest salary increases in the last five years:
|
Specialty |
Average pay in 2018 |
Average pay in 2023 |
Difference |
|
Urology |
$373,000 |
$506,000 |
$133,000 |
|
Plastic surgery |
$501,000 |
$619,000 |
$118,000 |
|
Otolaryngology |
$383,000 |
$485,000 |
$102,000 |
|
Oncology |
$363,000 |
$463,000 |
$100,000 |