How much do pathologists make?

Pathologist salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Physicians, Pathologists (SOC 29-1222) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Pathologists in the US earned a median of $312,400 a year ($150.19 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $186,300 to $372,780.

Median annual pay: $312,400; Mean $285,420
Median hourly pay: $150.19; Mean $137.22
Typical range (10th–90th): $92.5K–$450K; $92,540 to $449,970
US jobs: 11,110; +4.8% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a pathologist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: West Virginia

Pathologist pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$92,540
25th percentile$186,300
Median$312,400
75th percentile$372,780
90th percentile$449,970

Half of all pathologists earned more than $312,400 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $92,540; the top 10% made over $449,970. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $186,300 to $372,780.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$92,540	$44.49	$7,712
25th	$186,300	$89.57	$15,525
Median (50th)	$312,400	$150.19	$26,033
75th	$372,780	$179.22	$31,065
90th	$449,970	$216.33	$37,498
Mean (average)	$285,420	$137.22	$23,785

Pathologist salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for pathologists by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. Pennsylvania $413,370
2. West Virginia $400,070
3. Nevada $384,350
4. Illinois $381,770
5. Minnesota $362,270

Lowest-paying states

33. Wisconsin $83,610
32. California $186,300
31. Vermont $188,250
30. Georgia $211,800
29. Arkansas $214,100

Best after cost of living: West Virginia. Its median of $400,070 is worth about $447,021 at national-average prices, more than in Pennsylvania once prices are counted.


Alabama	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Alaska	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Arizona	$338,290	9	$336,015	11	$162.64	270	0.08
Arkansas	$214,100	29	$246,270	27	$102.93	130	0.10
California	$186,300	32	$168,262	32	$89.57	1,790	0.10
Colorado	$294,510	19	$285,788	20	$141.59	50	0.02
Connecticut	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Delaware	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
District of Columbia	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Florida	$313,510	15	$303,160	16	$150.72	370	0.04
Georgia	$211,800	30	$219,954	30	$101.83	170	0.03
Hawaii	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Idaho	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Illinois	$381,770	4	$381,930	4	$183.55	—	—
Indiana	$340,300	8	$364,624	7	$163.61	380	0.12
Iowa	$323,460	11	$368,565	5	$155.51	80	0.05
Kansas	$224,280	28	$249,012	26	$107.83	30	0.02
Kentucky	$324,390	10	$359,798	9	$155.96	—	—
Louisiana	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Maine	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Maryland	$253,670	23	$241,685	28	$121.96	70	0.02
Massachusetts	$285,240	20	$269,713	22	$137.13	320	0.09
Michigan	$303,070	17	$314,986	15	$145.71	140	0.03
Minnesota	$362,270	5	$367,336	6	$174.17	550	0.19
Mississippi	$261,570	22	$300,818	17	$125.76	50	0.04
Missouri	$261,830	21	$288,305	19	$125.88	—	—
Montana	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Nebraska	$229,140	27	$254,309	24	$110.16	90	0.09
Nevada	$384,350	3	$384,431	3	$184.78	40	0.03
New Hampshire	—	—	—	—	—	70	0.10
New Jersey	$355,970	6	$327,163	13	$171.14	230	0.05
New Mexico	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
New York	$321,550	13	$297,949	18	$154.59	1,220	0.13
North Carolina	$248,940	24	$263,915	23	$119.69	340	0.07
North Dakota	$239,200+	—	—	—	$115.00+	30	0.07
Ohio	$309,480	16	$333,585	12	$148.79	600	0.11
Oklahoma	$317,850	14	$361,839	8	$152.81	130	0.07
Oregon	$239,200+	—	—	—	$115.00+	150	0.08
Pennsylvania	$413,370	1	$423,656	2	$198.74	210	0.04
Rhode Island	$322,950	12	$315,751	14	$155.26	—	—
South Carolina	$236,950	26	$252,749	25	$113.92	80	0.04
South Dakota	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Tennessee	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Texas	$345,830	7	$356,316	10	$166.26	1,530	0.11
Utah	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Vermont	$188,250	31	$192,174	31	$90.50	—	—
Virginia	$240,780	25	$238,151	29	$115.76	110	0.03
Washington	$300,680	18	$280,975	21	$144.56	200	0.06
West Virginia	$400,070	2	$447,021	1	$192.34	50	0.07
Wisconsin	$83,610	33	$88,857	33	$40.20	130	0.04
Wyoming	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (16 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for pathologists

43 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$239,200+	—	—
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	$239,200+	—	—
Lexington-Fayette, KY	$239,200+	—	—
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$239,200+	—	280
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$239,200+	—	100
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$239,200+	—	—
Tulsa, OK	$239,200+	—	—
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	$384,550	$383,725	30
Corpus Christi, TX	$373,420	$402,952	—
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$365,830	$356,719	90

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	1,140	$327,770	$291,188
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	480	$316,150	$306,674
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	330	$319,340	$281,193
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	280	$239,200+	—
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	260	$342,090	$357,476
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	240	$285,240	$263,462
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	230	$291,510	$295,562
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	220	$349,470	$338,254
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	190	$317,890	$333,323
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	140	$300,580	$270,469

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves pathologist pay: employers and settings

Pathologists earn a median of $312,400, and pay varies mainly by employer type and location.

Medical and diagnostic laboratories pay the highest median, $329,560; hospitals follow at $314,080 and physician offices, the largest employer, at $312,140. Academic jobs pay far less: universities and medical schools report $209,840; research firms report $211,090. Government work is lower as well; local government outside schools and hospitals, which includes many medical examiner offices, pays $258,360. Overall, private employers pay a median of $319,330 compared with $222,470 for state governments.

BLS does not publish pay by subspecialty or for practice owners. Across all pathologists, the 75th percentile is $372,780, and the 90th is $449,970, a spread that reflects where people work rather than a schedule of raises by years in practice. Academic and public-sector roles trade pay for research, teaching or steadier hours.

Location matters. Pennsylvania has the highest state median at $413,370, followed by West Virginia at $400,070, and Nevada at $384,350, while California's is $186,300, and Vermont's is $188,250, near the bottom. Adjusted for living costs, West Virginia leads at $447,021 adjusted.

Where pathologists work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Offices of Physicians	35.5%	$312,140
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories	28.3%	$329,560
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	18.8%	$314,080
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	5.2%	$209,840
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	4.7%	$258,360
Scientific Research and Development Services	2.2%	$211,090

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	9,810	$319,330
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	670	$222,470
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	620	$247,910

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

What pathologists do

A pathologist is a physician who diagnoses disease by examining tissue, cells and body fluids rather than by examining patients. When a surgeon removes a lump, a dermatologist takes a skin biopsy or a gastroenterologist snips a polyp, the specimen goes to a pathologist, who looks at it under the microscope and writes the report that says whether it is cancer, what type and how far it has spread. That report often decides the treatment plan.

The field has two halves. Anatomic pathologists handle surgical specimens, biopsies, Pap tests and needle aspirations, and some perform autopsies. Clinical pathologists direct the hospital laboratory: blood bank, chemistry, microbiology, hematology and molecular testing. Many pathologists are trained in both.

Pathologists work in hospital labs, large commercial laboratories, physician groups, universities and medical examiner offices. Most of the day is spent at a microscope or digital slide viewer and at a computer, with frozen-section calls from the operating room, tumor board meetings and phone calls with surgeons and oncologists. Patient contact is limited, apart from procedures such as fine-needle aspirations or bone marrow biopsies in some jobs.

A typical day

Read glass or digital slides from biopsies and surgical cases and sign out diagnoses
Describe and sample organs removed in surgery (grossing), often with a pathologists' assistant
Give rapid frozen-section answers while a patient is still on the operating table
Order special stains, immunohistochemistry or molecular tests to pin down a tumor type
Oversee lab quality, blood bank decisions and test result problems as a laboratory director
Present cases at tumor boards and talk through findings with surgeons and oncologists
Perform autopsies in hospitals or, for forensic pathologists, for the medical examiner

Also called: anatomic pathologist, cytopathologist, dermatopathologist, forensic pathologist, hematopathologist, neuropathologist, oral pathologist, surgical pathologist.

How to become a pathologist

Full guide

To become a pathologist you earn a bachelor's degree, finish four years of medical school (MD or DO), pass the USMLE or COMLEX exams, and complete a three- or four-year pathology residency, followed by a state medical license and usually American Board of Pathology certification. That is about 11 to 13 years after high school, with a fellowship adding a year.

Typical time: 12-13 years; Fastest: About 11 years
Minimum education: Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), plus an ACGME-accredited pathology residency
License: Required in all 50 states and DC (state medical license)
Typical training cost: $213K–$214K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a pathologist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 12-13 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $213K–$214K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $312,400; $261,420 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 68–69%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($261,420 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (12-13 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for pathologists

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +4.8%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 11,800; 12,400 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 300; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 3.6%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects pathologist jobs to grow 4.8% from 2025 to 2035, from 11,800 to 12,400, a bit faster than the 3.5% average. With a small workforce, that means about 300 openings a year, mostly to replace pathologists who retire or leave the occupation.

BLS ties demand for physicians to a growing number of older adults and rising rates of chronic illness such as cancer. For pathologists, that means more biopsies, surgical specimens and lab tests to interpret. Because the occupation is so small, openings in any one region can be few, so being willing to relocate helps.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Pathologist salary FAQ

How much do pathologists make an hour?

The median hourly wage for pathologists was $150.19 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $44.49 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $216.33. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays pathologists the most?

Pennsylvania has the highest median pay for pathologists, $413,370 a year, followed by West Virginia ($400,070) and Nevada ($384,350). After adjusting for each state's price level, West Virginia comes out ahead at about $447,021 in national-average dollars.

Do pathologists make $200,000 a year?

Most do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 50% and 75% of pathologists earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $312,400, and the top 10% earn more than $449,970. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Do pathologists see patients?

Rarely, compared with most doctors. Pathologists work mainly with specimens and with the physicians who sent them. Some do see patients briefly to perform fine-needle aspirations or bone marrow biopsies, and transfusion medicine specialists may consult on patients' blood products. If you want direct, ongoing patient care, pathology is a poor fit; if you like diagnosis and problem solving, it can suit you well.

What is the difference between a pathologist and a forensic pathologist?

A forensic pathologist is a pathologist who completed an extra year of fellowship in forensic pathology. Forensic pathologists determine cause and manner of death in sudden, violent or unexplained cases, usually for a medical examiner or coroner's office, and they testify in court. General anatomic and clinical pathologists focus on diagnosing disease in living patients from biopsies, surgical specimens and lab tests.

Is a pathologist the same as a lab technician?

No. A pathologist is a medical doctor with an MD or DO and at least three years of pathology residency who makes the final diagnosis and directs the laboratory. Medical laboratory technologists and technicians run the tests and prepare samples, usually after a bachelor's or associate degree. See our page on lab technicians for that path.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1222
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1222.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Physicians and Surgeons: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Apply for USMLE Exams, USMLE (FSMB and NBME) · checked October 28, 2026
MCAT Scheduling Fees, Association of American Medical Colleges · checked October 28, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions (COMLEX-USA fees), National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners · checked October 28, 2026
2026 Booklet of Information, American Board of Pathology · checked October 28, 2026
Exam Dates, Deadlines and Fees, American Board of Pathology · checked October 28, 2026
Primary Exam Descriptions, American Board of Pathology · checked October 28, 2026

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