Pediatrician who cares for premature and critically ill newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit. AMGA Medical Group Compensation Survey 2025 (via Marit Health); SalaryDr puts typical pay at $381,630 a year (2025). BLS does not publish separate figures for pediatricians, general; it counts them within pediatrician, general (SOC 29-1221), whose median pay is $210,040 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
- SOC 29-1221
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Neonatologist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $210,040a year, or $100.98/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $91KTop 10% $339K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +1.5%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+1.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +1.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,00042,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202542.2K
- Projected 203542.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 42.2K Projected 2035 42.9K - Typical education
- Doctorateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Professional degree1.3%
- Doctorate20.4%
- Post-doctoral training78.3%
Highest education held by pediatricians, general Segment Value Professional degree 1.3% Doctorate 20.4% Post-doctoral training 78.3%
Also advertised as: Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Physician, NICU Physician, Newborn Intensive Care Physician, Neonatal Hospitalist.
Pay
How much do Pediatricians, General make?
Industry-reported pay
$381,630
Median total compensation, US neonatologists, all employer types (AMGA benchmark as published by Marit); physician-reported medians run slightly higher.
Source: AMGA Medical Group Compensation Survey 2025 (via Marit Health); SalaryDr, 2025 (estimate from several industry sources). This is not a BLS figure: BLS counts pediatricians, general within pediatrician, general, whose pay is shown below. Marit Health: Neonatologist salary, AMGA 2025 · SalaryDr: Neonatology salary
Every neonatologist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$210,040
Middle half earn $138,290 to $273,700
- 10th
- $91,470
- 25th
- $138,290
- 75th
- $273,700
- 90th
- $338,500
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $91,470 |
| 25th | $138,290 |
| Median | $210,040 |
| 75th | $273,700 |
| 90th | $338,500 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $210,040
- Median hourly wage
- $100.98/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $212,110
- People employed
- 39,390
Versus all US occupations
At $210,040, Pediatricians, General earn 312% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $159,060 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 104% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $338,500 or more while the bottom 10% earn $91,470, a gap of 3.7×. 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 96% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Louisiana pays the most at $502,720, and still leads at $569,932 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Pediatricians, General 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Louisiana | $502,720 | $569,932 | 40 |
| 2Idaho | $297,680 | $311,726 | 60 |
| 3New Hampshire | $273,410 | $262,478 | 210 |
| 4Montana | $273,260 | $288,721 | 50 |
| 5Wisconsin | $269,790 | $286,721 | 350 |
| 6Alaska | $267,390 | $261,228 | 60 |
| 7Iowa | $262,440 | $299,036 | 230 |
| 8South Dakota | $257,610 | $290,802 | 80 |
| 9Maine | $245,920 | $253,395 | 130 |
| 10Oklahoma | $236,780 | $269,549 | 280 |
Job outlook
Is Neonatologist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +1.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Pediatricians, General | +1.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Pediatricians, General to change 1.5% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,000 openings are projected each year, 2.4% of the 42,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Neonatologist
After medical school and a three-year pediatrics residency, neonatologists complete a three-year ACGME-accredited neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship that includes research.
The American Board of Pediatrics certifies them in general pediatrics and then in neonatal-perinatal medicine. The American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine is the main professional home for the field. Pediatric residents interested in the field complete extra NICU rotations, learn neonatal resuscitation and procedures, and often take part in research. Training also covers counseling families about premature birth, ethics at the limits of viability, and follow-up care for NICU graduates. Most neonatologists hold Neonatal Resuscitation Program certification throughout their careers.
- 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 pediatricians, general.
- Post-Doctoral Training78.3%
- Doctoral Degree20.4%
- First Professional Degree1.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Post-Doctoral Training | 78.3% |
| Doctoral Degree | 20.4% |
| First Professional Degree | 1.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Neonatologist do?
Neonatologists lead the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. Their patients include premature babies, some born months early, and full-term newborns with breathing problems, infections, birth defects or complications from delivery. They manage ventilators and other breathing support, nutrition through IV lines and feeding tubes, and treatments that protect the developing brain, lungs and gut.
Neonatologists attend high-risk deliveries to resuscitate newborns, place umbilical lines and breathing tubes, and coordinate with pediatric surgeons, cardiologists and maternal-fetal medicine specialists. They also counsel parents before and after birth and follow graduates of the NICU for developmental problems.
Day-to-day tasks
- Lead daily care of premature and critically ill newborns in the NICU
- Resuscitate newborns at high-risk deliveries
- Manage ventilators and noninvasive breathing support
- Place umbilical catheters, breathing tubes and central lines
- Direct nutrition and growth plans for premature infants
- Counsel expectant and new parents on prognosis and care
- Coordinate care with pediatric surgeons, cardiologists and maternal-fetal specialists
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Neonatologists work in hospital NICUs ranging from community units to large regional referral centers. Many work in shifts or week-long blocks with in-house nights. The work is intense and emotional, with long stays for some babies and close relationships with families.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
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
- Speaking4.3
- Critical Thinking4.3
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.1
- Writing4.0
- Science4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Monitoring4.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Science | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.3
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Complex Problem Solving4.0
- Service Orientation3.9
- Coordination3.4
- Instructing3.4
- Persuasion3.3
- Negotiation3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.4 |
| Instructing | 3.4 |
| Persuasion | 3.3 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Electronic mail software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Internet browser 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 a Neonatologist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ISR) built on O*NET's Pediatrician, General profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Neonatologist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 7 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Social6.6
- Investigative6.3
- Realistic4.2
- Conventional3.6
- Enterprising2.5
- 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 Neonatologist
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with pediatricians, general highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Neonatologist$210,040
- 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 |
| Neonatologist | $210,040 |
| 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 Neonatologist appears on
Questions
Neonatologist: frequently asked questions
How much do Pediatricians, General make?
AMGA Medical Group Compensation Survey 2025 (via Marit Health); SalaryDr reports $381,630 (median total compensation, US neonatologists, all employer types (AMGA benchmark as published by Marit); physician-reported medians run slightly higher, 2025). BLS does not publish a separate wage for pediatricians, general. It counts them within pediatrician, general, whose median pay is $210,040 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $138,290 and $273,700, and the top 10% earn $338,500 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Neonatologist?
Yes, and beyond a bachelor's: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry requirement for Pediatricians, General. BLS also lists internship/residency as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 78.3% hold post-doctoral training.
Is Neonatologist a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.5% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Neonatologist do?
Neonatologists lead the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. A typical task: lead daily care of premature and critically ill newborns in the NICU. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Medical software.
Which states pay Pediatricians, General the most?
The highest state medians for Pediatricians, General are Louisiana ($502,720), Idaho ($297,680), New Hampshire ($273,410) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Neonatologist?
O*NET scores Pediatricians, General highest on the Social, Investigative and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.