Annual compensation earned by U.S. physicians by specialty 2021

Plastic Surgeons earn an average annual compensation of around 526,000 U.S. dollars. This makes plastic surgeons the most well-compensated physicians in the United States as of 2021, followed by orthopedics. An orthopaedic physician specializes in injuries and diseases involving bones, muscles, joints, nerves and other parts of the musculoskeletal system.

Physician compensation

Although orthopedic physicians have one of the highest average annual compensation, from 2017 to 2018 their compensation only increased by 2 percent. In comparison, compensation for psychiatrists increased 16 percent during this time, while plastic surgeons saw a 14 percent increase. The states with the highest annual compensation for physicians include Oklahoma, Alabama, Nevada, and Arkansas. As of 2019, the annual compensation for physicians in Oklahoma was 337,000 U.S. dollars.

Characteristics of U.S. physicians

There are currently around 29.2 active physicians per 10,000 people in the U.S. Around 29 percent of physicians in the U.S. are aged between 56 and 65 years, while only 11 percent are 35 years or younger. The vast majority of physicians are employed by hospitals or groups and work an average of 51 hours per week.