Pediatricians, General: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · SOC 29-1221 · O*NET 29-1221.00
Pediatricians, General fall under the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category in the U.S. occupational classification. Pediatricians, General earn a median salary of $210,130 per year, ranking in the top 1% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +0.8% job growth through 2034, projected to grow slower than the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a professional doctorate (such as MD, DO, JD, DDS, or PharmD), with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What parents should know about pediatricians, general right now
Pediatricians provide primary medical care to infants, children, and adolescents, treating illnesses, monitoring growth and development, administering vaccines, and counseling families on behavior, nutrition, and chronic conditions. According to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, overall employment of physicians and surgeons is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, with about 23,600 openings each year, and the broader physicians and surgeons category had a median annual wage of at least $239,200 in May 2024 (general pediatricians typically earn toward the lower end of physician pay bands). Becoming a pediatrician requires a bachelor's degree, four years of medical school, a three-year pediatrics residency, and state licensure plus board certification through the American Board of Pediatrics. A clear current trend: the pediatrician workforce is stretched. The U.S. has roughly 82 pediatricians per 100,000 children compared with 348 adult physicians per 100,000 adults, and the 2024 Match marked the lowest pediatrics fill rate in three decades before partially recovering in 2025. Lower reimbursement rates compared with adult medicine remain a structural challenge, but they also mean residency programs are actively recruiting and many regions offer loan repayment for pediatric primary care. For a teen who connects easily with kids and families and wants a long career relationship with patients, parents can support the path by encouraging biology and developmental psychology coursework, volunteering with children's organizations, and shadowing in both private practice and academic children's hospitals.
What do pediatricians, general earn?
The median annual wage for pediatricians, general is $210,130. That puts pediatricians, general at #6 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. Pediatricians, General sit firmly in the top tier of U.S. earnings. Pay this high almost always requires extensive postgraduate education, board certification, or executive-level responsibility. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
Is pediatricians, general a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for pediatricians, general is +0.8%, projected to grow slower than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 46K positions in 2024 to 46K in 2034, a net change of 0K. Flat growth typically reflects a mature, stable field. Most openings will come from retirements rather than new positions, which can favor candidates with strong networks and willingness to relocate.
What education does my child need to become pediatricians, general?
Becoming a pediatricians, general typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's, doctoral, or professional degree, plus state licensure or board certification depending on specialty. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about pediatricians, general
What is the median salary for pediatricians, general?
The median annual salary for pediatricians, general is $210,130 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is pediatricians, general a growing career?
BLS projects +0.8% growth for pediatricians, general from 2024 through 2034, which is flat growth projected to grow slower than the US average.
What education does my child need to become pediatricians, general?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree followed by a professional doctorate (such as MD, DO, JD, DDS, or PharmD), plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to pediatricians, general?
Related occupations within the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.