How much can I earn as a doctor?

Orthopedists are the highest-paid doctors, according to new research from Medscape which lists the average annual salaries for over 25 medical specialties.

If you’re studying medicine and yet to decide about which field you’d like to specialize in, the $489,000 orthopedic physicians earn every year might be enough to tempt you. Orthopedists – doctors who treat bone and muscle problems – make over twice as much money per year as pediatricians, the lowest-paid group of doctors included in Medscape’s Physician Compensation Report.

Want to know how much your chosen specialism earns? Check the table below for a complete rundown.

Medicine students will be delighted to learn these figures are likely to rise even higher by the time they graduate. Annual income for doctors has increased steadily over recent years, with the biggest increases occurring in the fields of plastic surgery and allergies. Other specialties, such as pediatrics and oncology, have seen little wage growth, although medicine students interested in these fields can at least take comfort from the fact they’ll be out-earning most graduates on other degree courses.

Now just to decide what you'll spend all that money on.