As previously discussed, we’ve looked over how to choose a medical specialty. One area that we feel is better dedicated to a page on it’s own however is what the best earning medical specialties are. If you’re from the UK then your medical speciality has no basis on the salary you’ll get, rather your pay will be adjusted to your experience which will increase over the years if you become a consultant.

 

However in the USA the specialty that you choose does have a basis on what kind of salary you can expect to achieve. We have compiled a list of the official top ten earning medical specialties in 2013 to help aid you when you choose which medical specialty you should pursue. We should note that the figures quoted below are for the top people in the hospital, although it does shed light on how much money you can expect to make in your department of choice.

1) Orthopaedic Surgeon – This may come as a shock to some readers, but orthopaedics is widely becoming the most used form of surgey in the West due to a continuing ageing population thanks to medical advances. One of the most routinely carried out prodceudres is now hip replacements, as well as the replacement of other joints. Whilst it’s become more routine, the cost of these treatments is not decreasing. It’s little shock in that case that the mean salary for this specialty is $464,000 per year.

 

2) Invasive cardiovascular care – As with orthopaedic surgery, invasive cardiac treatment is also becoming more prevalent due to the increasing age of the general population. When this is coupled with the extreme care and precision required for cardiovascular surgery, the job demands a high salary. Each year, a physician in this field can expect to earn in the region of $461,000.

 

3) Non invasive cardiovasular care – In this case these doctors are the ones that are the last line of defense in cardiology before the patient has to undergo surery. It is usually hoped that the patient will respond well to the therapy given to them and thus the need for surgery is negated and therefore risk is also minimised. The average wage per year is $447,000.

 

4) Gastroenterology – Gastric problems are one of the most common complaints that people attend hospital with, and with peoples diets becoming worse this is a trend that’s sure to increase. As such, this is a highly sought after career choice for many doctors with the salary being roughly $441,000 per year.

 

5) Urology – Urology may not be to everyones taste, but it, along with gastroenterology is one of the most widely used crevices of medicine. At some point in your life you’ll most likely need the help of a Urologist (especially if you’re a woman) and so this area of medicine makes the cut with average earnings of $424,000.

 

6) Haematology and Oncology – As the name suggests, this specialty focuses on abnormal blood work in terms of full blood counts, inflammatory factors and also cancer. This area of medicine in particular also focuses on cancers of the blood with the various forms of Leukaemia which are known about. However, this discipline also covers other areas of cancer, and in some situations there is the involvement of orthopaedic surgeons in the case of bone cancers. Yearly wage is $396,000.

 

7) Dermatology – It’s true that these days people are constantly chasing beauty and are on the quest for perfect skin. However, dermatology covers much more than this and covers a wide array of skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis and also works in conjunction with haemto-oncology with regards to melanomas. A dermatologist can expect to take home a wage of $370,000.

 

8) Radiology – A radiologist will experience a mixed work load every day whilst using a wide array of tools, be it an X-ray, an MRI machine or a CT scanner. Regards of the machine, the end goal is to obtain an internal photo of the body, whether it’s to diagnose an aortic dissection which can be fatal if not corrected quickly, a tumour or simply a broken bone. A radiologist can earn in the region of $368,000.

 

9) Pulmonology – This involves focuses on the lungs, although in some countries it is more commonly referred to as a respiratory specialist. Regardless, common illnesses seen range from asthma to bronchitis, along to even more severe diseases such as lung cancer and also mesothelioma which is most commonly caused by asbestos exposure.  Yearly earnings can be expected to be $351,000.

 

10) General Surgery – As the name suggests this is a more generalised form of surgery rather than more dedicated areas of the body. A general surgeon is usually found to focus on the hepatic and digestive system (including the pancreas). This is a challenging specialty to choose, and some feel that the salary should be a lot higher than it is due to the various systems involved. Although the wage is not to be sniffed at with it coming in at $336,000.