MD and medical school: graduate earnings, debt, and careers
Medical school programs are reported as first professional degrees in Medicine (CIP 51.12). Graduates complete residency training and state licensure before independent practice, so early career earnings reflect resident pay.
Median earnings, 1 yr after
$65,104
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) Verified data
Median earnings, 4 yrs after
$112,460
Verified data
Typical program median debt
Data unavailable
federal loans Data unavailable
Programs reporting
219
29,702 recent graduates Verified data
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 219 | 29,702 | $65,104 | $112,460 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University CA · Private, nonprofit · 91 graduates measured | $86,231 | $114,132 | Data unavailable |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 179 graduates measured | $81,073 | $108,149 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-San Francisco CA · Public · 221 graduates measured | $80,674 | $112,089 | Data unavailable |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 179 graduates measured | $79,570 | $106,442 | Data unavailable |
| Hofstra University NY · Private, nonprofit · 145 graduates measured | $79,448 | $99,911 | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 237 graduates measured | $79,316 | $105,882 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY City College NY · Public · 102 graduates measured | $79,011 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 56 graduates measured | $78,686 | $93,412 | Data unavailable |
| Albert Einstein College of Medicine NY · Private, nonprofit · 244 graduates measured | $78,207 | $102,727 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 191 graduates measured | $77,614 | $143,434 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Irvine CA · Public · 146 graduates measured | $77,316 | $143,530 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Davis CA · Public · 200 graduates measured | $77,214 | $144,130 | Data unavailable |
| New York Medical College NY · Private, nonprofit · 340 graduates measured | $73,742 | $95,053 | Data unavailable |
| New York College of Podiatric Medicine NY · Private, nonprofit · 121 graduates measured | $73,159 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Stony Brook University NY · Public · 196 graduates measured | $71,922 | $99,252 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Medicine
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Podiatrists | $160,300 | +2.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Anesthesiologists | $391,490 | +3.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Cardiologists | $496,010 | +4.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Dermatologists | $328,730 | +6.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Emergency medicine physicians | $335,550 | +3.2% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Family medicine physicians | $244,180 | +3.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| General internal medicine physicians | $256,560 | +4.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Neurologists | $248,560 | +6.4% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Obstetricians and gynecologists | $292,910 | +1.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Pediatricians, general | $210,040 | +1.5% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Physicians, pathologists | $312,400 | +4.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Psychiatrists | $281,870 | +7.2% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Radiologists | $420,860 | +3.4% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Physicians, all other | $265,930 | +3.4% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Ophthalmologists, except pediatric | $300,080 | +4.5% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric | $358,550 | +4.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Pediatric surgeons | $559,030 | +2.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Surgeons, all other | $414,010 | +4.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (4)
- 51.1201 Medicine
- 51.1202 Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy
- 51.1203 Podiatric Medicine/Podiatry
- 51.1299 Medicine, Other
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