Scrubs, Specialties, and Student Debt

Medical school is expensive, but the payoff can be enormous. The difference usually comes down to two variables, how much you borrow and what you ultimately practice.

Orthopedics sits at the high end, with an average salary around $511,000 and roughly 30 working years, translating to lifetime earnings near $15.3 million.

Cardiology follows with an average salary of about $438,000 over roughly 29 working years, or about $12.7 million in lifetime earnings.
 
Anesthesiology averages around $398,000 across approximately 31 working years, totaling roughly $12.3 million.
 
Neurology averages closer to $280,000 with about 32 working years, resulting in roughly $9.0 million.

Pediatrics typically averages around $232,000 across about 32 working years, with lifetime earnings closer to $7.4 million.

Specialties with longer training paths often delay earnings early on, but higher long-term income ceilings can more than compensate over time.

Most medical students graduate with six-figure debt, often around $200,000 or more. That number alone does not determine ROI. What matters far more is debt relative to expected income.

A common rule of thumb used by advisors is that total medical school debt is generally more manageable when it stays at or below your expected first attending salary. Higher debt levels can still make sense for higher-paying specialties, while lower-paying specialties require tighter cost control and more deliberate repayment strategies.
 
Debt hurts ROI most when it limits flexibility during residency and the early attending years.

Unlike some other professional degrees, medical school prestige usually matters less than specialty choice for long-term earnings. ROI is driven primarily by specialty selection, length of training, practice setting and location, and how much you borrow to get there.

This means that choosing an affordable school and borrowing intentionally can matter just as much as matching into a highly ranked program.

Medical school can still be a strong financial investment, even with high upfront costs. ROI tends to work when students keep borrowing aligned with realistic income expectations, understand the earnings tradeoffs between specialties, and plan early for repayment during residency.

Medical school is not risk-free. But for students who manage costs thoughtfully and choose their path with intention, the long-term payoff can remain substantial, both financially and professionally.