Top-paying physician specialties in last 5 years

Orthopedics and plastic surgery have been the top-earning physician specialties for the last five years, according to Medscape's annual physician compensation reports. 

Here are the 10 top-paying physician specialties over the past five years, followed by their average annual salaries:

2022:

Plastic surgery: $576,000

Orthopedics and orthopedic surgery: $557,000

Cardiology: $490,000

Otolaryngology: $469,000

Urology: $461,000

Gastroenterology: $453,000

Dermatology: $438,000

Radiology: $437,000

Ophthalmology: $417,000

Oncology: $411,000

2021

Plastic surgery: $526,000

Orthopedics and orthopedic surgery: $511,000

Cardiology: $459,000

Urology: $427,000

Otolaryngology: $417,000

Radiology: $413,000

Gastroenterology: $406,000

Oncology: $403,000

Dermatology: $394,000

Ophthalmology: $379,000

2020

Orthopedics: $511,000

Plastic surgery: $479,000

Otolaryngology: $455,000

Cardiology: $438,000

Radiology: $427,000

Gastroenterology: $419,000

Urology: $417,000

Dermatology: $411,000

Anesthesiology: $398,000

Ophthalmology: $378,000

2019

Orthopedics: $482,000

Plastic surgery: $471,000

Otolaryngology: $461,000

Cardiology: $430,000

Dermatology: $419,000

Radiology: $419,000

Gastroenterology: $417,000

Urology: $408,000

Anesthesiology: $392,000

Ophthalmology: $366,000

2018

Plastic surgery: $501,000

Orthopedics: $497,000

Cardiology: $423,000

Gastroenterology: $408,000

Radiology: $401,000

Dermatology: $392,000

Anesthesiology: $386,000

Otolaryngology: $383,000

Urology: $373,000

Oncology: $363,000

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