Helping people is great, but let’s be honest, those $300,000 in loans you owe won’t pay themselves. If you’re a med student who is “all about the Benjamins,” here’s where you can find them. 1. Orthopedic Surgery $464,500 People are constantly breaking bones and will pay a pretty penny to have them fixed up. Therefore, orthopedic surgery takes the top spot as the highest paying medical specialty. If you choose this road, you’ll be looking at a handsome $464,500 a year on average. 2. Invasive Cardiology $461,364 Have a heart, people. Become a cardiologist. If a six hour life-saving cardiac transplant isn’t enough for you, perhaps the impressive average salary will help you sleep at night. Whatever your motives, invasive cardiology is a solid specialty choice (unless you’re squeamish, in which case you may want to reconsider). 3. Non-Invasive Cardiology $447,143 If you don’t want to perform the triple bypass surgery, there’s good news! Apparently, it will only cost your around $14,000 a year to get yourself out of the OR and on to the non-invasive route. So go ahead, grab your Littmann and hit the floors. 4. Gastroenterology $441,421 Gastroenterology. You know what it entails, and if you’ve ever had GI issues, you’ll know that money is no object when it comes to freeing yourself from excruciating pain in the bowels. Enough said. 5. Urology $424,091 Like its sister, gastroenterology, urology can be quite painful if you are the patient, but quite rewarding if you’re the doc treating it! 6. Hematology/Oncology $396,000 Blood AND cancer. It goes without saying that specialists in the field of hematology-oncology deal with some pretty complex issues–turns out those complexities in the blood pay pretty well. 7. Dermatology $370,952 Ah, the dermatologist. This one can be summed up in just three words. No night shift. 8. Radiology $368,250 Just be sure to wear your dosimeter badge. 9. Pulmonology $351,125 No smoking allowed here… 10. General Surgery $336,375 Can’t decide what you want to do? The average salary for a general surgeon could be the long awaited reward for your indecisiveness. source
