Pediatricians work with children and families to provide preventative care, treatment of illnesses, and to track the developmental progress of children as they grow up. Pediatrics is important in the medical field because their specialty helps bring down infant and child mortality rates. If you think that being a pediatrician is the career for you, then you should know that pediatrics could be one of the higher-paying occupations in the medical industry. Learn about your salary outlook and get the information you need to know here.
Average Salary
The average national salary for all general pediatricians is $170,530 per year. This figure represents the average salary for pediatricians regardless of years’ experience, specialty, and location. The median national salary, which represents the middle 50% of all pediatricians, is slightly lower at $157,610. These figures have been increasing over the last few decades, so it’s likely that the average salary will only increase over the course of your career.
Entry-Level Salary
You shouldn’t expect to make the average total salary in your first year of residency. The average salary represents all pediatricians, which includes mid to late career pediatricians. The lowest paid 10% of pediatricians make $87,190, which is a more reasonable expectation for your salary when you’re starting your career.
Location
Generally speaking, the higher the population level is that you’re working in, the more money you can expect to make. However, you may find high-paying positions in areas where the need for pediatricians is higher. The highest-paying states for pediatricians are Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Montana, and Wisconsin. The states with the highest employment levels of pediatricians are California, Texas, Ohio, New York, and Massachusetts. The top-paying metropolitan areas for pediatricians are Baton Rouge, LA, Syracuse, NY, Jackson, MS, Salem, OR, and Provo, UT.
Work Environment
Pediatricians work in different work locations, including hospitals and private practices. The work places that have the most jobs available for pediatricians include physician’s offices, hospitals, outpatient care centers, universities, and specialty hospitals. The work places with the highest-paying jobs for pediatricians include specialty hospitals, outpatient care services, and offices of physicians.
Job Outlook
The number of jobs for all occupations nationally is expected to increase by 11% over the next eight years. Jobs for healthcare practitioners are expected to increase by 20%. Jobs for physicians are supposed to increase by 18% by 2022. This means that there is a better than average job growth for future pediatricians.
