Internal medicine specialists take on the most side gigs outside of their primary work position, while plastic surgeons take on the fewest, according to 2023 physician compensation reports from Medscape based on survey data from more than 10,000 physicians across 29 specialties.
Percentage of physicians who take on side gigs, per specialty:
Allergy and immunology: 42 percent
Anesthesiology: 35 percent
Cardiology: 35 percent
Critical care: 53 percent
Dermatology: 35 percent
Diabetes and endocrinology: 45 percent
Emergency medicine: 53 percent
Family medicine: 34 percent
Gastroenterology: 32 percent
General surgery: 38 percent
HIV/Infectious diseases: 54 percent
Internal medicine: 61 percent
Nephrology: 37 percent
Neurology: 43 percent
OB-GYN: 38 percent
Oncology: 35 percent
Ophthalmology: 31 percent
Orthopedics: 41 percent
Otolaryngology: 33 percent
Pathology and lab medicine: 29 percent
Pediatrics: 33 percent
Physical medicine and rehabilitation: 42 percent
Plastic surgery: 21 percent
Psychiatry: 36 percent
Public health: 33 percent
Pulmonary medicine: 53 percent
Radiology: 37 percent
Rheumatology: 46 percent
Urology: 36 percent