Highest-earning physician specialties in the last 5 years

Neurosurgery and thoracic surgery have been the highest-earning physician specialties for the last five years, according to medical professional networking site Doximity. 

Doximity surveyed more than 160,000 full-time U.S. physicians about their compensation and recorded the highest-earning physician compensation in the last five years. 

Below are five highest-earning specialties from 2017 through 2021, followed by the average compensation.

2021:

Neurosurgery: $773,201

Thoracic surgery: $684,663

Orthopedic surgery: $633,620

Plastic surgery: $556,698

Vascular surgery: $552,313

Oral and maxillofacial: $545,471 

Radiation oncology: $544,313

Cardiology: $537,777

Urology: $514,922

Gastroenterology: $500,400

2020:

Neurosurgery: $746,544

Thoracic surgery: $668,350

Orthopedic surgery: $605,330

Plastic surgery: $539,208

Oral and maxillofacial surgery: $538,590

Vascular surgery: $534,408

Cardiology: $527,231

Radiation oncology: $516,016

Gastroenterology: $485,460

Radiology: $485,460

2019:

Neurosurgery: $616,823

Thoracic surgery: $584,287

Orthopedic surgery : $526,385

Radiation oncology: $486,089

Vascular surgery: $484,740

Dermatology: $455,255

Cardiology: $453,515

Plastic surgery: $433,060

Gastroenterology: $431,767

Radiology: $428,572

2018:

Neurosurgery: $663,000

Thoracic surgery: $603,000

Orthopedic surgery: $538,000

Vascular surgery: $476,000

Plastic surgery: $473,000

Cardiology: $473,000

Radiation oncology: $468,000

Gastroenterology: $456,000

Dermatology: $434,000

Radiology: $431,000

2017:

Neurosurgery: $620,000

Thoracic surgery: $522,000

Orthopedic surgery: $503,000

Vascular surgery: $446,000

Radiation oncology: $446,000

Plastic surgery: $420,000

Dermatology: $420,000

Cardiology: $415,000

Radiology: $408,000

Gastroenterology: $403,000

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