National Salary Info » Physicians and Surgeons

Highest Paying Industries for Physicians and Surgeons

The top 61 highest paying industries for physicians and surgeons (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $186,970, transportation equipment manufacturing is the highest paying industry for physicians and surgeons. It is followed by finance and insurance industry (average annual salary $186,930). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of physicians and surgeons in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 61 Highest Paying Industries for Physicians and Surgeons

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$186,970	$140,710	50
2	Finance and Insurance	$186,930	$63,300	500
3	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$186,080	$63,120	490
4	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities	$185,830	$60,520	740
5	Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services	$183,820	$121,230	70
6	Individual and Family Services	$183,340	$82,300	1,010
7	Social Assistance	$182,720	$82,980	1,140
8	Insurance Carriers	$181,880	$62,660	460
9	Nursing and Residential Care Facilities	$177,140	$63,050	1,290
10	Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities	$175,830	$73,410	120
11	Scientific Research and Development Services	$175,340	$49,640	1,190
12	Offices of Other Health Practitioners	$174,840	$62,110	3,790
13	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities	$174,750	$50,780	150
14	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$174,360	$54,060	1,500
15	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$173,320	$85,690	150
16	Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	$173,100	$65,370	250
17	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$173,080	$78,360	4,950
18	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$173,050	$84,790	4,900
19	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$172,840	$53,250	84,580
20	Health and Personal Care Stores	$172,070	$55,230	n/a
21	Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)	$169,010	$60,230	840
22	Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly	$168,700	$72,970	60
23	All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$168,670	$68,330	1,240
24	Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$168,600	$67,830	1,260
25	Home Health Care Services	$168,510	$85,800	1,760
26	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	$168,160	$54,310	50
27	Vocational Rehabilitation Services	$168,000	$107,660	50
28	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$166,800	$94,580	3,220
29	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$165,680	$62,260	5,120
30	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$165,290	$59,660	250
31	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$161,830	$62,760	4,760
32	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$161,720	$52,610	26,290
33	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$161,600	$112,120	4,290
34	Hospitals - Local government owned	$160,950	$51,810	n/a
35	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$160,520	$51,790	n/a
36	Retail Trade	$160,410	$54,020	130
37	Other Residential Care Facilities	$158,650	$62,930	230
38	Hospitals - Privately owned	$157,730	$52,010	133,930
39	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Privately owned	$156,940	$85,390	100
40	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$156,810	$51,840	127,530
41	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$155,730	$47,360	950
42	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$155,640	$52,020	163,460
43	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$153,570	$51,790	153,380
44	Offices of Optometrists	$139,340	$62,600	520
45	Offices of Chiropractors	$135,520	$35,740	460
46	Business schools and computer and management training - Privately owned	$122,730	$52,220	150
47	Business Schools and Computer and Management Training	$122,730	$52,220	150
48	Spectator Sports	$122,040	$52,940	40
49	Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries	$122,040	$52,940	40
50	Educational Services - Privately owned	$120,790	$51,460	n/a
51	Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$120,740	$101,830	n/a
52	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$117,570	$51,380	n/a
53	Hospitals - State government owned	$107,860	$52,660	n/a
54	State government, including schools and hospitals	$103,530	$47,730	26,310
55	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$97,520	$51,590	n/a
56	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$69,490	$51,050	n/a
57	Educational Services	$61,100	$45,490	19,180
58	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$60,860	$45,330	18,750
59	Educational Services - State government owned	$59,540	$43,490	n/a
60	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$59,500	$43,470	n/a
61	Educational Services - Local government owned	$58,450	$51,520	920