The healthcare field is one of the largest in the overall economy, but there is a wide range of individual specialties. While you may not want to make your total compensation the only factor in deciding what to do for a living, it likely will be one of the factors. Your overall compensation will likely vary widely depending on education, training, specialty, and role.

Information on how much a doctor makes or how much other professionals make matters for clinical professionals planning careers or making financial decisions. In this post, we will take a look at some of the highest-paying healthcare jobs.

Physicians and Surgeons

It is probably no surprise that physicians and surgeons are among the highest-paying healthcare jobs. Very high incomes often come with longer training, more education required, and more procedural/surgical work. You'll also want to keep in mind that even among physicians, there is a wide range of salaries and total compensation. Typically, specialties like neurology and cardiology are at or near the top, while family medicine and pediatric physicians tend to have lower compensation.

Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)

While physicians earn the most overall, they are not the only high-paying option in healthcare. Another group of medical professionals near the top of the salary and compensation scale are advanced practice providers (APPs).

APPs include professions like physician assistants (PAs), nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and nurse practitioners (NPs). These high-earning roles don’t require physician training but still command strong compensation. Depending on the state in which they reside, APPs may have some, most, or even all of the rights and responsibilities that physicians do.

More information here:

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Other High-Paying Clinical Professions

Some other well-paid allied health professions include pharmacists, optometrists, physical therapists in specialized roles, and radiation therapists. Many of these professions also include lengthy post-graduate education and training, and they also come with significant responsibility. As such, some of these professionals have salaries and overall compensation commensurate with that education, responsibility, and experience—comparable to many physicians.

Comparing Healthcare Jobs to Other Professions

There are other professions with high salaries—including lawyers, finance professionals, and tech workers—but physicians generally have the highest salary and overall compensation. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, doctors and other physicians make up the vast majority of the 20 US jobs with the highest average pay.

It's important to recognize that this increased compensation often comes with lifestyle tradeoffs: extended training, student debt, and increased work hours. Some of the highest-paying roles also come with frequently being on call or high stress. Make sure that you have a full understanding of the requirements for a given field before you enter it.

Factors That Influence Compensation

There are many different factors that can influence your overall compensation. Some of the most common include:

  • Specialty/subspecialty choice
  • Geographic location
  • Practice setting (private practice vs. hospital vs. academic)
  • Work hours and productivity
  • Negotiation and bonus structures

As Dr. Jim Dahle, founder of the White Coat Investor, has often pointed out, “One of the things I have noticed that no one ever seems to talk about is that intraspecialty pay variation is higher than interspecialty pay variation.”

While there are definitely some specialties that have an overall higher average compensation, there is also significant variety between professionals in the same specialty. That's something to keep in mind as you plan your career.

More information here:

16 Ways to Earn More Money as a Doctor

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Practical Career and Financial Planning Tips

Here are a few tips on how clinicians can maximize earnings over time:

  • Consider specialty selection early if compensation is a priority.
  • Negotiate contracts and understand bonus incentives.
  • Use financial planning resources on WCI to manage income, debt, and investment strategies.
  • Avoid lifestyle inflation.
  • Using income spikes wisely.
  • Planning early for taxes and retirement.

The Bottom Line

Healthcare offers many high-paying career options, especially for those willing to invest time in education and training. Physicians and surgeons generally have the highest salaries, but advanced practice providers and other clinical professionals can also earn strong incomes. Overall compensation can vary widely based on specialty, location, and work setting, even within the same field. And above all, it's crucial to understand that while your total salary and compensation are important, they should not be the only factors when choosing a career.

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