Diagnose and treat injuries and illnesses. Examine patients, review medical history, prescribe medications.
Pay
$150,000
Lower reported wage
—
Not available in our data
$239,200+
Upper reported wage
Annual U.S. salaries. Actual pay varies by location, employer, and experience. The lower and upper figures do not represent starting and senior salaries.
The + marks a legacy BLS reporting threshold: the upper wage is at least $239,200, not an exact maximum.
AI-generated image · Illustrative scene
Make this your goal
Build a personalized Roadmap Plan with CLEP savings and school matches.
Complete a bachelor’s degree and the science prerequisites of the medical schools you are considering. No single undergraduate major is required.
Apply to an M.D. or D.O. program; admission commonly considers MCAT scores, coursework, experience, and interviews. Medical school usually takes 4 years and includes supervised clinical rotations.
Complete specialty residency, typically 3–9 years, and meet the licensing requirements of the state where you will practice. A subspecialty fellowship is an additional, optional stage.
Every state requires physician licensure, including qualifying national exams and state-specific conditions. Specialty board certification is separate and generally optional.[1]
Search CareerOneStop by occupation and state, then confirm the rules with the issuing agency. Coverage is incomplete; an empty result does not mean no license is required.
U.S. career guide. Program, employer, and state requirements can differ.
About this data
BLS 'Physicians and Surgeons' (29-1210 series). Median >= $239,200 (BLS top-coded). 839,000 jobs; 3% growth. Specialty mean ranges ~$235K (peds) to $450K+ (surgeons).
Annual median review, October 27, 2026: The referenced OOH wage combines physicians and surgeons, while the stored SOC is the 29-1210 physician group. The combined-page median is not imported as a median for that narrower stored category. Reconcile the occupational scope before assigning a numeric median. Sources: https://www.bls.gov/oes/2025/may/oes_stru.htm . Existing employment and projection figures were not refreshed.
SOC 29-1210BLS OOH 2024-34Verified 2026-04-28View on BLS
Illustration: AI-generated image · Illustrative scene
Residency is supervised clinical training after medical school. Ask individual programs about compensation, benefits, call schedules, and any fellowship funding.[1]
Costs to check before enrolling
Compare undergraduate and medical-school costs after aid, application and exam fees, living costs during training, and residency compensation.
Planning questions: request a written estimate from each program or sponsor. A total cost has not been verified here.
Majors and routes to explore
A related major can be preparation; it does not by itself qualify you for the career.
An advising and prerequisite route, not a required undergraduate major or a medical credential. Verify each medical school’s courses.[1]
Daily life
What you would do
Examine patients, interpret tests, diagnose conditions, plan treatment, document care, and coordinate with other clinicians; duties vary widely by specialty.[1]
Where you could work
Physicians work in offices and hospitals, as well as research, government, and other nonclinical settings. Specialty and employer shape the workday.[1]
Hours and flexibility
Most work full time; long shifts, nights, weekends, and on-call periods are possible, especially in hospital-based practice.[1]
Physical and emotional demands
Patient care can involve difficult decisions, distressed families, long periods standing, and urgent situations. The physical and emotional load varies by specialty.[1]
How you could advance
After residency, physicians may pursue an optional fellowship or specialty board certification, or move into research, teaching, or leadership. Each route has separate requirements.[1]
These are possible directions. Promotion timing and pay depend on the role and employer.
Questions to ask yourself and an employer
Am I willing to commit to many years of study and supervised training?
Which specialty’s patients, hours, and work setting fit me?
