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.
Pediatrician, General Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Pediatricians, General earn a median of $210,040 per year ($100.98/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 0.8% through 2034, with about 1,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
SOC 29-1221Healthcare Practitioners and TechnicalLast updated August 23, 2026
- Median pay
- $210,040
- Projected growth
- +0.8%
- Openings a year
- 1,200
- Typical education
- Doctorate
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Developmental Pediatrician, Emergency Room Pediatrician (ER Pediatrician), General Pediatrician, Group Practice Pediatrician, Medical Doctor (MD), Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician.
How much do Pediatricians, General make?
10th percentile$91,470
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$138,290
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$210,040
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$273,700
Upper quartile
90th percentile$338,500
Top-paid tenth
| 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 $97,870, this is 115% 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 97% of the 923 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.
Which states pay Pediatricians, General the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $502,720 | $569,932 | 40 |
| Idaho | $297,680 | $311,726 | 60 |
| New Hampshire | $273,410 | $262,478 | 210 |
| Montana | $273,260 | $288,721 | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $269,790 | $286,721 | 350 |
| Alaska | $267,390 | $261,228 | 60 |
| Iowa | $262,440 | $299,036 | 230 |
| South Dakota | $257,610 | $290,802 | 80 |
| Maine | $245,920 | $253,395 | 130 |
| Oklahoma | $236,780 | $269,549 | 280 |
Is Pediatrician, General a growing career?
Pediatricians, General0.8%
All US occupations3.1%
+0.8% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Pediatricians, General to change 0.8% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,200 openings are projected each year, 2.6% of the 46,400 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of physicians and surgeons is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of physicians and surgeons varies by occupation (see table). An increasing number of older adults, who are more likely than younger people to experience health problems and to need complex care, is expected to drive overall employment growth for physicians and surgeons.
In addition, increasing rates of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, will result in continued reliance on physicians and surgeons by large numbers of people seeking medical care.
How to become a Pediatrician, General
Physicians and surgeons typically need a bachelor’s degree as well as a degree from a medical school, which takes an additional 4 years to complete. Depending on their specialty, they also need 3 to 9 years in internship and residency programs. Subspecialization includes additional training in a fellowship of 1 to 3 years.
| Typical entry-level education | Doctoral or professional degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Considerable preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Internship/residency |
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%
What does a Pediatrician, General do?
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment, as needed.
Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses and address health maintenance. Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests. They often counsel patients on diet, hygiene, and preventive healthcare. Surgeons operate on patients to treat injuries, such as broken bones; diseases, such as cancerous tumors; and deformities, such as cleft palates.
There are two types of physicians, with similar degrees: M.D. (Medical Doctor) and D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). Both use the same methods of treatment, including drugs and surgery, but D.O.s place additional emphasis on the body's musculoskeletal system, preventive medicine, and holistic (whole-person) patient care. D.O.s are most likely to be primary care physicians, although they work in all specialties.
Day-to-day tasks
- Treat children who have minor illnesses, acute and chronic health problems, and growth and development concerns.
- Examine patients or order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests to obtain information on medical condition and determine diagnosis.
- Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients and parents or guardians.
- Refer patient to medical specialist or other practitioner when necessary.
- Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury in infants and children.
- Examine children regularly to assess their growth and development.
- Advise patients, parents or guardians, and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
- Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most physicians and surgeons work full time. Some work more than 40 hours per week. Many physicians and surgeons work long shifts, which may include irregular and overnight hours or being on call. Physicians and surgeons may travel between their offices and the hospital to care for patients. While on call, a physician may need to address a patient’s concerns over the phone or make an emergency visit to another location, such as a nursing home.
Where the work happens
- Almost never works outdoors
Working with people
- Constant contact with other people
- Face-to-face discussions every day
Autonomy
- A lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey, showing only the signals people in the job report decisively one way or the other.
Core skills
- Speaking4.3/5
- Critical Thinking4.3/5
- Reading Comprehension4.1/5
- Active Listening4.1/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Science4.0/5
- Active Learning4.0/5
- Monitoring4.0/5
Transferable skills
- Judgment and Decision Making4.3/5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0/5
- Service Orientation3.9/5
- Coordination3.4/5
- Instructing3.4/5
- Persuasion3.3/5
- Negotiation3.0/5
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.
What personality type suits a Pediatrician, General?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary3.6
Investigativeprimary6.2
Artistic1.9
Socialprimary6.6
Enterprising2.5
Conventional3.6
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.
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.
Pediatrician, General: frequently asked questions
How much do Pediatricians, General make?
Pediatricians, General earn a median of $210,040 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 312% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $100.98/hr. The middle half earn between $138,290 and $273,700. The top 10% earn $338,500 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Pediatrician, General?
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 Pediatrician, General a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 0.8% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 1,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Pediatrician, General do?
Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses and address health maintenance. A core O*NET task: treat children who have minor illnesses, acute and chronic health problems, and growth and development concerns. 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 Pediatrician, General?
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 923 occupations in the bank.