Physician & dentist student loans by specialty
Every medical and dental specialty carries roughly the same student-loan balance — the AAMC median is about $205,000 for medical graduates. What changes is income, and income is what decides your best repayment move. This page maps debt-to-income for 32 specialties and links the detail for each. See the full 2026 Physician Student Loan Report →
By the AttendingFi research team · checked against current federal program rules (June 2026) · how we calculate this
Medical specialties
| Specialty | Typical attending income | Debt ÷ one year's income* | Debt-to-income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orthopedic Surgery | $575,000 | 36% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Plastic Surgery | $560,000 | 37% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Cardiology | $525,000 | 39% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Gastroenterology | $510,000 | 40% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Radiology | $480,000 | 43% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Otolaryngology (ENT) | $470,000 | 44% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Dermatology | $470,000 | 44% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Urology | $460,000 | 45% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Anesthesiology | $450,000 | 46% | Lower debt-to-income |
| General Surgery | $420,000 | 49% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Ophthalmology | $420,000 | 49% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Hematology/Oncology | $420,000 | 49% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Pulmonology/Critical Care | $380,000 | 54% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Emergency Medicine | $350,000 | 59% | Moderate |
| Pathology | $350,000 | 59% | Moderate |
| OB/GYN | $340,000 | 60% | Moderate |
| Physical Medicine & Rehab | $330,000 | 62% | Moderate |
| Nephrology | $320,000 | 64% | Moderate |
| Neurology | $300,000 | 68% | Moderate |
| Psychiatry | $290,000 | 71% | Moderate |
| Hospitalist | $285,000 | 72% | Moderate |
| Internal Medicine | $270,000 | 76% | Moderate |
| Endocrinology | $270,000 | 76% | Moderate |
| Family Medicine | $255,000 | 80% | Higher debt-to-income |
| Pediatrics | $240,000 | 85% | Higher debt-to-income |
Dental specialties
Dentists and dental specialists face the same federal rules. General dentists carry the highest debt-to-income in this list because dental-school debt is high relative to a general practitioner's income; surgical and specialist tracks earn more.
| Specialty | Typical attending income | Debt ÷ one year's income* | Debt-to-income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon | $420,000 | 49% | Lower debt-to-income |
| Orthodontist | $330,000 | 62% | Moderate |
| Prosthodontist | $310,000 | 66% | Moderate |
| Endodontist | $300,000 | 68% | Moderate |
| Periodontist | $300,000 | 68% | Moderate |
| Pediatric Dentist | $270,000 | 76% | Moderate |
| Dentist (General) | $185,000 | 111% | Higher debt-to-income |
*Using the AAMC median medical-school debt of ~$205,000 against the representative median attending income for each field. Your own balance and income are what the calculator uses.
Why income, not specialty, drives the decision
Two physicians with the same $205,000 balance can have completely different best moves. A pediatrician on a $240,000 nonprofit-hospital salary will almost always come out ahead pursuing forgiveness — their income-driven payments stay low and the remaining balance is forgiven tax-free at 120 qualifying payments. An orthopedic surgeon earning $575,000 in private practice will often do better refinancing to a lower rate and paying the loan off quickly, because forgiveness has little left to forgive at that income. The specialty matters only because it sets the income; the lever is the same logic for everyone, and the right answer is whichever path costs the least over the life of the loan on your numbers.
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Common questions
Which medical specialty has the highest student debt-to-income?
Debt size is similar across specialties (the AAMC median is about $205,000), so debt-to-income is driven mostly by income. Primary-care fields like pediatrics and family medicine carry the highest debt-to-income because their attending incomes are lower; procedural fields like orthopedic surgery and cardiology carry the lowest.
Does my specialty change whether PSLF or refinancing is better?
Not directly — your employer does. At a nonprofit or government employer, Public Service Loan Forgiveness usually wins for any specialty because payments are income-driven and forgiveness is tax-free. In for-profit or private practice, higher-income specialties (lower debt-to-income) benefit most from refinancing. The calculator settles it on your real numbers.
Are these income figures exact?
No — they are representative median attending estimates used to illustrate debt-to-income by field. Your actual offer is what matters, and you can enter it in the free calculator to get your own answer.
Educational estimates, not individualized financial advice. Income figures are representative medians used to illustrate debt-to-income by field; your own numbers determine your result. Reviewed against current federal program rules, June 2026.