What they often fail to consider though is  the time required to make the big bucks.

We’ve already covered the Top 6 Doctor  Specialties with the Highest Hourly Rate. Now,  

we’re looking at the other end of the spectrum  – the specialties with the lowest hourly rate.

Dr. Jubbal, MedSchoolInsiders.com

As with the previous video, the  average hourly wage was calculated  

by taking the average annual salary  for each specialty and dividing it  

by the number of hours worked per week  and the number of workweeks per year.

It is important to mention that these  are averages, and variation is expected.  

Even within specialties, salary and weekly hours  can vary widely depending on the type of practice,  

geography, and numerous other factors.

Just because your cousin’s goldfish’s twin  sister’s boyfriend is making ten million  

dollars per year as a psychiatrist doesn’t mean  the data is wrong. It just means he’s an outlier.

With that said, let’s dive in.

Number ten is psychiatry,  which focuses on the diagnosis,  

prevention, and treatment of mental disorders.

Psychiatrists have an average  annual salary of $275,000  

and work an average of 47 hours per week,  giving us an hourly wage of approximately $117.

Psychiatry is unique within medicine as it  is less algorithmic than most specialties.  

If you enjoy thinking deeply and holistically  about your patients and want the freedom to  

individually tailor their treatment  plan, psychiatry may be a good fit.

Psychiatry also offers a lot of  flexibility, both in terms of your  

career as well as work-life balance. You  can work in multiple clinical settings,  

with multiple patient populations, and even  have multiple jobs at once. Psychiatrists  

also tend to work regular business hours with  few overnight emergencies or weekend calls.

Number nine is neurology, which focuses on  the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of  

the nervous system including the  brain, muscles, spine, and nerves.

Neurologists earn on average $290,000 per  year and work an average of 51 hours per week,  

yielding an average hourly  wage of approximately $114.

Neurologists focus on arguably the most  fascinating organ system of the human  

body - the nervous system. If we look at even  just the last 20 years, we have seen dramatic  

improvements in our understanding of the brain  and spinal cord. This is likely to continue too  

as neurologic diseases are consistently in the  top 3 most funded diseases by the NIH each year.

Approximately 80% of neurology is outpatient  as well, which means you’re less likely to  

work weekends and more likely to  have regular 8-5 business hours.

Number eight is allergy and immunology, which is  the area of medicine focusing on the diagnosis,  

treatment, and management of disorders  related to the immune system.

Allergist-immunologists have an average  annual salary of $274,000 and work an  

average of 49 hours per week, translating to  an average hourly wage of approximately $112.

As an allergy and immunology  physician, you get to see a  

wide variety of patients and conditions  - from young to old and acute to chronic.

You also get the opportunity to be on the cutting  edge of medical research as our understanding of  

the immune system and the many other areas  of health it affects continues to develop.

Of note, allergy and immunology physicians also  spend the least amount of time on paperwork and  

administrative tasks out of any specialty  on our list at just 14.6 hours per week.  

For perspective, this is a similar amount of time  

to dermatology which is known for being  one of the best lifestyle specialties.

Number seven is preventive medicine, which focuses  on the overall health of individuals to protect,  

promote, and maintain well-being as well as  prevent disease, disability, and premature death.

Preventive medicine physicians have  an average annual salary of $237,000  

and work an average of 45 hours per week,  giving us an average hourly wage of $105.

Preventive medicine, as the name implies, is  all about addressing health issues before they  

become a problem - something that we often  don’t focus enough on in Western medicine.  

So while preventive medicine isn’t perceived  to be cutting edge and doesn’t make headlines,  

it’s arguably more important and  impactful in terms of lives saved.

These doctors also tend to be heavily involved  in influencing public policy, public health,  

and designing healthcare systems to  prevent and control the spread of disease.  

So not only do you have the opportunity  to help patients on an individual level,  

but you can also help to prevent  disease on a much larger scale.

Number six is rheumatology, which focuses on the  

diagnosis and treatment of diseases of  the joints, muscles, bones, and tendons.

The average rheumatologist earns $276,000 per  year and works an average of 54 hours per week,  

yielding an average hourly wage of $102.

Rheumatology also has the highest change  in salary between 2020 and 2021 of any  

specialty on our list with an  increase of 5% year over year.

One of the biggest draws of rheumatology  is the amount of time that you get to spend  

with patients. The nature of the diseases that  rheumatologists treat often require a close,  

long-term relationship where treatment decisions  

are constantly refined depending on the  patient’s unique life, needs, and biology.

You get to be a sort of “medical detective”  

and sort through the most complex  clinical facts and physical exam  

findings before ultimately giving your final  diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

Number five is endocrinology,  which focuses on the diagnosis,  

treatment, and management of  diseases of the endocrine system.

Endocrinologists have an average  annual salary of $245,000  

and work an average of 49 hours per week,  giving us an average hourly wage of $100.

Endocrinology also shows the second-highest  

change in salary on our list with an  increase of 4% between 2020 and 2021.

Much like with rheumatology, endocrinologists  get to be medical detectives. They focus heavily  

on building patient relationships  and exercising clinical reasoning.

In addition, lifestyle diseases like obesity  and diabetes are the bread and butter of  

endocrinology. So if you enjoy helping your  patients make lifestyle modifications that  

will improve their health for years to  come, endocrinology may be a good fit.

Number four is pediatrics, which  focuses on the care of babies,  

children, and adolescents from  birth up to the age of twenty-five.

Pediatricians earn on average $221,000  

and work an average of 47 hours per week,  yielding an average hourly wage of $94.

It should be noted that pediatricians  have the lowest annual salary out of  

any specialty on our list; however, they also work  

fewer hours than most specialties which is  why they are only number four on our list.

The biggest draw for pediatrics is that you  get to work with children and adolescents.  

You have the unique opportunity to  make an impact early in someone’s life  

which can compound to yield tremendous  changes over their lifetime. As such,  

pediatrics could be considered one of the  most powerful forms of preventative medicine.

Are you ready for the top three?  If you’ve been surprised by at  

least one specialty on the list so  far, let us know with a thumbs up.  

And if you think we’ve missed one,  let me know with a comment below.

Number three is infectious disease.  These physicians are the experts in  

the diagnosis and treatment of diseases caused by  bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and prions.

Infectious disease physicians have  an average annual salary of $274,000  

and work an average of 53 hours per week,  giving us an average hourly wage of $92.

Infectious disease is one of the most rapidly  evolving fields of medicine. It seems that  

every year or two there is some outbreak of  a new pathogen - whether it be swine flu,  

zika virus, or more recently the  SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic.

Infectious disease physicians are constantly  learning about new pathogens and relearning old,  

forgotten pathogens, which keeps the specialty  interesting and ID docs on their toes.

Job satisfaction also tends to be high  amongst infectious disease physicians,  

with approximately 89% of them reporting that  they would choose the same specialty again.

Number two is internal medicine which  focuses on the diagnosis, treatment,  

and prevention of a broad number of diseases that  affect adult patients. These are the quarterbacks  

of the hospital healthcare team and what most  people think of when they hear the word “doctor.”

Internal medicine doctors earn on average $248,000  

and work an average of 55 hours per week,  yielding an average hourly wage of $90.

Although internal medicine physicians have the  

highest annual salary out of  our bottom five specialties,  

they also work the most hours - which is why  they’ve found themselves at our number two spot.

One of the biggest draws for internal medicine is  the tremendous career flexibility that it offers.  

If you want to work as a hospitalist  and take care of admitted patients,  

you can do that straight out of residency. If  you want to do primary care and see patients  

in an outpatient clinic, you can do that  too. And if you decide that you’d like  

to specialize and further your interest with  something more focused, IM offers a clear path  

to multiple fellowships including cardiology,  gastroenterology, and oncology to name a few.

And finally, the specialty with the  lowest hourly rate is family medicine.

You’re probably not surprised,  since family medicine is known  

for being one of the least lucrative  and least competitive specialties.

Family medicine is the center of primary care.  These are the generalists of generalists.  

Unlike other specialties that focus  on a particular organ, disease,  

or age range, family medicine physicians see the  full spectrum of patients - from young to old,  

healthy to unhealthy, and everything in between.

Family medicine doctors have an  average annual salary of $236,000  

and work an average of 53 hours per week,  giving us an average hourly wage of $89.

Don’t let the hourly wage fool you though,  there’s still a lot to love about family medicine.

If you enjoy getting to know your  patients and building relationships,  

family medicine offers amazing  access to longitudinal care as  

you can see patients from the time that  they’re born on through to adulthood.

Family medicine is also one of the few  specialties where you can continue to  

maintain and develop the vast medical  knowledge you learned during medical school.  

Being a generalist means that you can take  satisfaction in knowing that you’re able to  

manage most anything that walks through  the door - at least to some extent.

And lastly, family medicine physicians  often enjoy a desirable schedule,  

usually working regular 9 to 5 office  hours with minimal, if any, call.

Remember, money is just one piece of the equation.  You should never choose a specialty primarily  

based on salary. Each specialty has its own unique  pros and cons that you need to weigh for yourself.  

At the end of the day, it is much more important  for your long-term happiness to choose a  

specialty for the right reasons, and I have a  6 step process to teach you how linked below.

Regardless of what specialty you choose, it always  benefits you to keep your options open, not only  

if you’re one of the 52% of medical students that  change their mind about their intended specialty,  

but also so that you can match into the  most desirable programs in your chosen  

specialty - which are always competitive,  no matter the field. At Med School Insiders,  

our specialty is helping students  maximize their potential and be  

the most competitive candidates possible.  Visit MedSchoolInsiders.com to learn more.

Thank you all so much for watching!  If you enjoyed this video,  

be sure to check out How to Choose  a Specialty or the Top 6 Specialties  

with the Highest Hourly Rate. Much  love and I’ll see you guys there.