Which medical specialty has the highest burnout rate?

Emergency Medicine consistently ranks as the medical specialty with the highest burnout rate, often followed closely by Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN), Family Medicine, and Pediatrics, according to major surveys by groups like the American Medical Association (AMA) and Medscape. These frontline roles face intense stressors, heavy workloads, and significant emotional demands, leading to high rates of exhaustion and job dissatisfaction.

What profession has the highest burnout rate?

Jobs with the highest burnout rates consistently involve high emotional demands, long hours, and critical decision-making, with Healthcare Workers (nurses, doctors), Teachers, Social Workers, and First Responders (police, firefighters) topping lists, alongside demanding sectors like IT, Finance, and Agriculture due to intense pressure and instability, often linked to poor work design and high demand-to-recovery imbalance. 

What specialty has the lowest burnout rate?

1. Public Health & Preventive Medicine. Doctors in public health and preventative medicine have both the lowest rate of burnout and the second-highest level of happiness in their work (second to plastic surgeons) among all physicians, according to the latest reports.

Which medical specialty gets the most time off?

Average paid vacation time off by specialty for doctors

• Anesthesiology: 35.
• Cardiology: 28.
• Endocrinology: 25.
• Family medicine: 24.
• Gastroenterology: 25.
• Geriatric medicine: 23.
• Hematology/oncology: 23.
• Hospice/palliative care: 24.

Which medical specialty has the highest addiction rate?

RESULTS: Emergency medicine and psychiatry residents showed higher rates of substance use than residents in other specialties. Emergency medicine residents reported more current use of cocaine and marijuana, and psychiatry residents reported more current use of benzodiazepines and marijuana.

Every Doctor Specialty Ranked by Burnout 🔥 (2025)

Which physician specialty has the most burnout?

Emergency Medicine consistently leads as the most burned-out medical specialty, followed by primary care fields like Family Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, and Internal Medicine, with Oncology, Radiology, and Critical Care also showing very high rates, driven by high-stress environments, demanding workloads, administrative burdens, and unpredictable schedules.
 

What profession has the highest addiction rate?

Jobs With The Highest Addiction Rates

• Restaurant And Food Service Workers. ...
• Arts, Entertainment, And Recreational Fields. ...
• Doctors And Healthcare Professionals. ...
• Information And Communications. ...
• Sales Workers. ...
• Management. ...
• Lawyers And Attorneys. ...
• Emergency Responders.

Which specialty has the best work-life balance?

For excellent work-life balance in medicine, specialties like Dermatology, Psychiatry, Pathology, Radiology, Ophthalmology (the "ROAD" specialties), Family Medicine, Anesthesiology, Otolaryngology (ENT), and Allergy & Immunology consistently rank high due to predictable hours, fewer emergencies, and more control over scheduling, though roles like Academic Hospitalist or Nocturnist also offer great flexibility with structured shifts.
 

What is the least desirable medical specialty?

With that in mind, the five least competitive medical specialties are:

• Family medicine.
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation.
• Anesthesiology.
• Pediatrics.
• Psychiatry.

What medical specialties have the worst lifestyle?

The four specialties rated highest for lifestyle (1–9, with 9 being highest) were dermatology (8.4), radiology (8.1), ophthalmology (8.0), and anesthesia (7.5). The four specialties rated lowest were orthopedics (4.0), neurosurgery (3.1), general surgery (2.6), and obstetrics-gynecology (2.5).

What is the chillest medical specialty?

10 Physician Specialities With Low-Stress & More Flexibility

• Dermatology.
• Anesthesiology.
• Ophthalmology.
• Pediatrics.
• Psychiatry.
• Clinical Immunology/Allergy.
• General/Clinical Pathology.
• Nephrology.

Which medical profession has the highest rate of depression?

While depression rates vary, Urology, Emergency Medicine, and Family Medicine consistently show some of the highest rates among physicians, with ~38.5%, ~38.3%, and ~35.8% reporting depression in recent studies, respectively, often linked to long hours, heavy workloads, and significant burnout in these demanding, front-line roles. 

What is the 42% rule for burnout?

42% – that's the percentage of time your body and brain need you to spend resting. It's about 10 hours out of every 24. By prioritising rest, we can improve our ability to cope with stress, reduce the risk of burnout, and enhance our overall well-being.

What jobs make $3,000 a month without a degree?

What jobs make $3,000 a month without a degree?

• Dental Assistant. Dental assisting is one of the best-paying jobs you can start with no degree. ...
• Medical Assistant. ...
• Electrician or HVAC Technician. ...
• Delivery Driver or Courier. ...
• Office or Administrative Assistant. ...
• Security Guard. ...
• Real Estate Agent.

What are the most unhappiest jobs?

Unhappiest jobs often involve high stress, low control, poor work-life balance, or repetitive tasks, frequently appearing in customer service (Cashiers, Customer Service Reps), healthcare (Nurses, Pharmacy Techs, Psychiatric Aides), education (Teachers), and some trades/tech roles (Electricians, Analysts, Programmers), with common themes being lack of autonomy, demanding environments, and feeling undervalued despite hard work. 

What doctors are the most happy?

Happiest doctor specialties often include Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, Allergy/Immunology, Orthopedics, and Otolaryngology, thanks to factors like good work-life balance, elective procedures, predictable hours, and patient satisfaction, though this varies by survey and year. Specialties like Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine tend to report lower happiness due to burnout from high stress, administrative burden, and long hours, but individual fulfillment comes from deep satisfaction in any field, like teaching or rural medicine.
 

What is the least stressful medical specialty?

The least stressful medical specialties often involve predictable hours, less emergency pressure, and focused diagnostic or chronic care, with Public Health/Preventive Medicine, Pathology, Radiology, Ophthalmology, and Dermatology frequently cited for low burnout and good work-life balance due to regular schedules, control over patient flow, and fewer high-stakes acute situations. Psychiatry, Plastic Surgery, and Allergy/Immunology also rank low on stress due to stable environments or strong patient connections. 

What is the easiest medical job that pays well?

The "easiest" well-paying medical jobs often involve short training, like Dental Hygienist (2-year degree, great pay/balance), Diagnostic Medical Sonographer/Ultrasound Tech, or roles focused on administration/coding like Medical Billing & Coding Specialist or Medical Records Tech, which offer good pay with certifications or high school diplomas, reducing stress through less direct patient contact or fewer emergencies. Roles like LPN/LVN (nursing) or Surgical Tech also offer good pay with shorter education (around 2 years). 

Who is the lowest paid doctor?

The lowest-paid doctor is often in a pediatric subspecialty, with Pediatric Endocrinology frequently cited as the lowest-paying overall, followed closely by Pediatric Rheumatology, Infectious Disease, and general Pediatrics, according to recent 2024-2025 reports from Doximity and Financial Residency. Public Health & Preventive Medicine and Medical Genetics also rank among the lowest-compensated fields, often due to shorter training and better work-life balance.
 

What jobs in the US pay $300,000 a year?

What jobs pay $300,000 a year non-medical?

• Investment Banker. ...
• Hedge Fund Manager or Portfolio Manager. ...
• Corporate Lawyer (Partner Track) ...
• Software Engineering Director / VP of Engineering. ...
• Tech Entrepreneur / Startup Founder. ...
• Real Estate Developer. ...
• Management Consultant (Partner or Director Level) ...
• Private Equity Executive.

Who are the most overpaid doctors?

The highest-paid doctors in the U.S. are neurosurgeons, thoracic surgeons, and orthopedic surgeons. These surgical specialists earn average annual salaries between $650,000 and $760,000, making them the top earners among physicians.

What career has the highest alcoholism?

Professions with the highest rates of heavy alcohol use consistently include Mining, Quarrying, and Oil Extraction, followed closely by Construction, and then Food Service/Hospitality, with factors like high stress, physical demands, long hours, easy access to alcohol, and isolation often contributing to misuse. Other fields like the Military, Law Enforcement, and Healthcare also show elevated risks due to intense pressure and demanding conditions, while skilled trades and manual labor roles generally have higher rates than professional or office jobs. 

What is the 3 2 1 rule for alcohol?

The "3-2-1 Alcohol Rule" (or more commonly the 1-2-3 Rule) is a guideline for moderate drinking: 1 drink per hour, 2 drinks per occasion, and at least 3 alcohol-free days per week, helping to prevent binge drinking and promote healthier habits by pacing intake and allowing your liver to process alcohol. It's a simple framework to stay in control and mindful of consumption, but remember "zero drinks" is always safest when driving or pregnant, and a standard drink varies (e.g., 12oz beer, 5oz wine, 1.5oz spirits). 

Do doctors have a high rate of alcoholism?

In particular, alcoholism, and medical professionals with alcoholism, are an all too common, and dangerous, combination. Studies report that at least 10 to 12 percent of healthcare professionals will develop a substance use disorder during their careers, including at least 1 in 10 physicians, and 1 in 5 nurses.