Number of physicians by specialty U.S. 2026| ��ƽ��

Number of active specialty physicians in the U.S. in 2026, by field of specialty

Specialty area	Number of physicians
Emergency medicine	67,617
Psychiatry	60,129
General Surgery	58,210
Anesthesiology	56,410
Diagnostic Radiology	49,001
Orthopaedic Surgery	27,428
Ophthalmology	24,092
Pathology	20,660
All other specialities	125,802

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Release date

July 2026

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Region

United States

Survey time period

as of May 2026

Supplementary notes

Release date represents the date the figures were accessed.

Data includes currently active licensed allopathic physicians (MDs) and osteopathic physicians (DOs).
Other specialties include but are not limited to: allergy and immunology, dermatology, medical genetics, neurological surgery, neurology, opthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pathology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, plastic surgery, preventive medicine, urology, and combined residency training specialties.

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As of January 2026, there were a total of 561,051 specialty physicians active in the United States. Of these, most were specialized in emergency medicine, followed by surgery and psychiatry.

Physician compensation

Sizable pay variations exist across specialties and regions, with orthopedic doctors and surgeons commanding the highest average annual salaries at 564,000 U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, the Midwest region offers the highest average physician compensation at 385,000 U.S. dollars annually. Interestingly, doctors in northern parts of the United States tend to earn less than their counterparts in other regions.

Burnout among physicians

Despite high salaries, U.S. physicians face high workloads and stress in the workplace. Over half of surveyed doctors reported feeling burnout, with higher burnout rates among female doctors, younger physicians, and those in primary care compared to their counterparts. More effort to combat burnout is needed in the healthcare system. Increasing compensation was cited by physicians as the top measure to alleviate burnout, followed by adding support staff and offering more flexible schedules.