For the last five years, the same five physician specialties have traded spots in the lowest-paying slots of Medscape's annual compensation report.
While the lowest-paid specialty has changed over time and the overall compensation has risen between 2020 and 2024 for all five specialties, the same five groups continue to fall under the category of lowest-paid.
How the five lowest-paid physician specialties have evolved:
Pediatrics: $232,000
Public health and preventive medicine: $232,000
Family medicine: $234,000
Diabetes and endocrinology: $236,000
Infectious diseases: $246,000
Pediatrics: $221,000
Family medicine: $236,000
Public health and preventive medicine: $237,000
Diabetes and endocrinology: $245,000
Infectious diseases: $245,000
Public health and preventive medicine: $243,000
Pediatrics: $244,000
Family medicine: $255,000
Diabetes and endocrinology: $257,000
Infectious diseases: $260,000
Public health and preventive medicine: $249,000
Pediatrics: $251,000
Family medicine: $255,000
Infectious diseases: $262,000
Diabetes and endocrinology: $267,000
Diabetes and endocrinology: $256,000
Pediatrics: $260,000
Infectious diseases: $261,000
Public health and preventive medicine: $263,000
Family medicine: $272,000