A physician who keeps pilots, aircrew, and astronauts healthy and fit to fly, and studies how flight and space affect the body. BLS does not publish separate figures for preventive medicine physicians; it counts them within preventive medicine physician (SOC 29-1229), whose median pay is $265,930 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
- SOC 29-1229
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Aerospace Medicine Physician in four numbers
- Median pay
- $265,930a year, or $127.85/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $69KTop 10% $452K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.4%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 9,400367,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025367.4K
- Projected 2035380.1K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 367.4K Projected 2035 380.1K - Typical education
- Doctorateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Doctorate26.3%
- Post-doctoral training73.7%
Highest education held by preventive medicine physicians Segment Value Doctorate 26.3% Post-doctoral training 73.7%
Also advertised as: Flight Surgeon, Aerospace Medicine Specialist, Aviation Medical Examiner, Space Medicine Physician, Aeromedical Physician.
Pay
How much do Preventive Medicine Physicians make?
Every aerospace medicine physician in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$265,930
Middle half earn $102,930 to $378,770
- 10th
- $69,170
- 25th
- $102,930
- 75th
- $378,770
- 90th
- $452,360
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $69,170 |
| 25th | $102,930 |
| Median | $265,930 |
| 75th | $378,770 |
| 90th | $452,360 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $265,930
- Median hourly wage
- $127.85/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $262,040
- People employed
- 342,720
Versus all US occupations
At $265,930, Preventive Medicine Physicians earn 422% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $214,950 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 159% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $452,360 or more while the bottom 10% earn $69,170, a gap of 6.5×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 98% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
North Dakota pays the most at $454,550, and still leads at $510,966 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Preventive Medicine Physicians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1North Dakota | $454,550 | $510,966 | 740 |
| 2Montana | $438,850 | $463,680 | 580 |
| 3Maine | $419,410 | $432,159 | 1,340 |
| 4Wisconsin | $391,740 | $416,324 | 6,350 |
| 5Minnesota | $367,320 | $372,456 | 5,350 |
| 6Indiana | $366,190 | $392,365 | 6,760 |
| 7New Hampshire | $361,300 | $346,854 | 1,000 |
| 8Alaska | $355,100 | $346,916 | 270 |
| 9Louisiana | $350,920 | $397,837 | 4,740 |
| 10Oregon | $347,180 | $335,891 | 4,130 |
Job outlook
Is Aerospace Medicine Physician a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Preventive Medicine Physicians | +3.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Preventive Medicine Physicians to change 3.4% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 12,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 9,400 openings are projected each year, 2.6% of the 367,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Aerospace Medicine Physician
Aerospace medicine physicians complete medical school (MD or DO) and then a residency in aerospace medicine, a specialty within preventive medicine. Residencies exist at programs run by the US Air Force, Navy, and Army, NASA-affiliated academic centers, and a small number of civilian universities, and they include a master's degree in public health.
Graduates can become board certified in aerospace medicine through the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM). Many enter the field through the military, where physicians train as flight surgeons. Civilian doctors can also be designated by the FAA as Aviation Medical Examiners after a training course.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Doctoral or professional degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Internship/residency
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as preventive medicine physicians.
- Post-Doctoral Training73.7%
- Doctoral Degree26.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Post-Doctoral Training | 73.7% |
| Doctoral Degree | 26.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Aerospace Medicine Physician do?
Aerospace medicine physicians care for people who work in the air and in space. They perform flight physicals, decide whether pilots with medical conditions can safely fly, and manage the effects of altitude, acceleration, fatigue, and spatial disorientation. Military flight surgeons fly with their squadrons and treat aircrew and their families.
Others work for NASA and commercial spaceflight companies, preparing astronauts for missions, monitoring them in orbit, and researching how microgravity and radiation affect bone, muscle, vision, and the heart. They also investigate aviation accidents for human factors, set medical standards for the Federal Aviation Administration, and advise airlines on crew and passenger health.
Day-to-day tasks
- Perform flight physicals and determine medical fitness to fly
- Treat pilots, aircrew, and astronauts for illness and injury
- Advise on the effects of altitude, acceleration, and fatigue
- Monitor astronaut health before, during, and after missions
- Research physiological effects of spaceflight and long flights
- Investigate aviation accidents for medical and human factors
- Develop medical standards and waiver policies for aviators
- Teach aircrew about hypoxia, disorientation, and survival
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Aerospace medicine physicians work at military air bases, NASA centers, the FAA, airlines, commercial space companies, and academic research programs. Military flight surgeons fly regularly with aircrews and may deploy. Civilian roles are mostly clinic and office based, with travel for missions, research, and accident investigations.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.4
- Active Listening4.3
- Speaking4.3
- Critical Thinking4.3
- Writing4.1
- Monitoring4.1
- Active Learning4.0
- Science3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.4 |
| Active Listening | 4.3 |
| Speaking | 4.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.3 |
| Writing | 4.1 |
| Monitoring | 4.1 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Science | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving4.3
- Judgment and Decision Making4.3
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Coordination4.0
- Instructing3.8
- Service Orientation3.8
- Systems Analysis3.8
- Systems Evaluation3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 4.0 |
| Instructing | 3.8 |
| Service Orientation | 3.8 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.8 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser software
- Medical software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Aerospace Medicine Physician?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ISR) built on O*NET's Preventive Medicine Physician profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Aerospace Medicine Physician |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 7 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
- Investigative6.7
- Social5.6
- Realistic4.0
- Conventional3.4
- Enterprising2.4
- Artistic1.9
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Aerospace Medicine Physician
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician
$265,930median a year
Most earn $69K to $452K
+3.4%Doctorate - Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with preventive medicine physicians highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Aerospace Medicine Physician$265,930
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Physical Therapist$102,760
- Dental Hygienist$98,100
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$96,590
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician$80,110
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Aerospace Medicine Physician | $265,930 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologist and Technician | $80,110 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Aerospace Medicine Physician appears on
Questions
Aerospace Medicine Physician: frequently asked questions
How much do Preventive Medicine Physicians make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for preventive medicine physicians. It counts them within preventive medicine physician, whose median pay is $265,930 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $102,930 and $378,770, and the top 10% earn $452,360 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Aerospace Medicine Physician?
Yes, and beyond a bachelor's: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry requirement for Preventive Medicine Physicians. BLS also lists internship/residency as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 73.7% hold post-doctoral training.
Is Aerospace Medicine Physician a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.4% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 9,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Aerospace Medicine Physician do?
Aerospace medicine physicians care for people who work in the air and in space. A typical task: perform flight physicals and determine medical fitness to fly. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Data base user interface and query software, Object or component oriented development software.
Which states pay Preventive Medicine Physicians the most?
The highest state medians for Preventive Medicine Physicians are North Dakota ($454,550), Montana ($438,850), Maine ($419,410) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Aerospace Medicine Physician?
O*NET scores Preventive Medicine Physicians highest on the Investigative, Social and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.