How much do pediatricians make?

Pediatrician salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Pediatricians, General (SOC 29-1221) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Pediatricians in the US earned a median of $210,040 a year ($100.98 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $138,290 to $273,700.

Median annual pay: $210,040; Mean $212,110
Median hourly pay: $100.98; Mean $101.98
Typical range (10th–90th): $91.5K–$339K; $91,470 to $338,500
US jobs: 39,390; +1.5% 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 pediatrician: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Louisiana

Pediatrician pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$91,470
25th percentile$138,290
Median$210,040
75th percentile$273,700
90th percentile$338,500

Half of all pediatricians earned more than $210,040 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $91,470; the top 10% made over $338,500. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $138,290 to $273,700.

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	$91,470	$43.98	$7,623
25th	$138,290	$66.49	$11,524
Median (50th)	$210,040	$100.98	$17,503
75th	$273,700	$131.59	$22,808
90th	$338,500	$162.74	$28,208
Mean (average)	$212,110	$101.98	$17,676

Pediatrician salary by state

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

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

Highest-paying states

1. Louisiana $502,720
2. Idaho $297,680
3. New Hampshire $273,410
4. Montana $273,260
5. Wisconsin $269,790

Lowest-paying states

49. District of Columbia $79,240
48. Georgia $149,990
47. West Virginia $158,470
46. Arkansas $160,440
45. Washington $169,540

Best after cost of living: Louisiana. Its median of $502,720 is worth about $569,932 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$209,490	28	$235,851	13	$100.72	—	—
Alaska	$267,390	6	$261,228	10	$128.55	60	0.17
Arizona	$233,950	12	$232,377	16	$112.47	1,230	0.38
Arkansas	$160,440	46	$184,547	41	$77.13	100	0.08
California	$214,140	24	$193,407	36	$102.95	6,680	0.37
Colorado	$196,440	34	$190,622	38	$94.44	570	0.20
Connecticut	$216,830	22	$209,275	28	$104.25	1,310	0.77
Delaware	$219,190	18	$219,612	21	$105.38	180	0.37
District of Columbia	$79,240	49	$72,101	49	$38.10	—	—
Florida	$182,010	38	$176,001	45	$87.51	700	0.07
Georgia	$149,990	48	$155,764	48	$72.11	—	—
Hawaii	$197,090	32	$179,253	42	$94.76	470	0.75
Idaho	$297,680	2	$311,726	2	$143.11	60	0.07
Illinois	$196,760	33	$196,843	30	$94.60	1,180	0.19
Indiana	$177,300	40	$189,973	39	$85.24	1,080	0.34
Iowa	$262,440	7	$299,036	3	$126.17	230	0.15
Kansas	$209,840	27	$232,980	15	$100.89	110	0.08
Kentucky	$175,690	43	$194,867	33	$84.47	380	0.19
Louisiana	$502,720	1	$569,932	1	$241.69	40	0.02
Maine	$245,920	9	$253,395	11	$118.23	130	0.21
Maryland	$181,640	39	$173,058	46	$87.33	580	0.21
Massachusetts	$221,170	17	$209,130	29	$106.33	2,310	0.64
Michigan	$204,690	29	$212,738	26	$98.41	1,340	0.30
Minnesota	$226,660	13	$229,829	19	$108.97	890	0.30
Mississippi	$183,650	36	$211,206	27	$88.29	40	0.04
Missouri	$223,910	16	$246,551	12	$107.65	500	0.17
Montana	$273,260	4	$288,721	5	$131.38	50	0.10
Nebraska	$175,990	42	$195,321	32	$84.61	290	0.28
Nevada	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
New Hampshire	$273,410	3	$262,478	9	$131.45	210	0.31
New Jersey	$201,560	31	$185,249	40	$96.91	1,280	0.30
New Mexico	$202,390	30	$219,483	22	$97.30	270	0.31
New York	$212,150	25	$196,579	31	$101.99	4,570	0.47
North Carolina	$183,550	37	$194,591	34	$88.25	740	0.15
North Dakota	$234,950	11	$264,110	8	$112.96	90	0.20
Ohio	$217,970	20	$234,947	14	$104.80	2,110	0.38
Oklahoma	$236,780	10	$269,549	7	$113.84	280	0.16
Oregon	$224,690	15	$217,384	23	$108.02	620	0.31
Pennsylvania	$226,440	14	$232,075	17	$108.86	1,120	0.18
Rhode Island	$218,080	19	$213,219	24	$104.85	180	0.36
South Carolina	$217,120	21	$231,597	18	$104.38	420	0.18
South Dakota	$257,610	8	$290,802	4	$123.85	80	0.18
Tennessee	$176,210	41	$191,804	37	$84.72	740	0.23
Texas	$173,360	44	$178,617	43	$83.34	2,740	0.20
Utah	$210,360	26	$212,777	25	$101.13	310	0.18
Vermont	$215,350	23	$219,839	20	$103.53	130	0.42
Virginia	$195,940	35	$193,800	35	$94.20	750	0.18
Washington	$169,540	45	$158,429	47	$81.51	480	0.14
West Virginia	$158,470	47	$177,067	44	$76.19	140	0.19
Wisconsin	$269,790	5	$286,721	6	$129.71	350	0.12
Wyoming	—	—	—	—	—	100	0.36

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 (2 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for pediatricians

104 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$395,040	$370,338	100
Vallejo, CA	$357,320	$329,391	—
York-Hanover, PA	$344,960	$359,333	40
St. Cloud, MN	$298,830	$341,006	60
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$290,420	$287,869	70
Fresno, CA	$289,290	$283,179	410
Manchester-Nashua, NH	$287,040	$271,672	80
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	$276,470	$285,206	60
Kansas City, MO-KS	$271,410	$293,280	70
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	$271,190	$295,733	90

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	4,510	$216,040	$191,928
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	3,080	$176,900	$155,768
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	1,860	$221,170	$204,284
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	1,080	$233,950	$226,441
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	1,040	$124,190	$125,916
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	920	$170,020	$177,667
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	870	$226,440	$220,801
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	860	$188,340	$181,804
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	810	$207,450	$179,435
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	730	$218,000	$217,352

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

What moves pediatrician pay: employers and settings

Pediatricians earned a median of $210,040 in May 2025, and setting explains much of the spread. Offices of physicians, which employ 63.8% of pediatricians, pay a median of $207,450. General hospitals pay $217,340 and outpatient care centers pay the most of the main settings at $237,140. Academic jobs pay far less: colleges and universities report $106,080 and state government, which includes public university hospitals, reports $102,600. Local government pays $133,290 while private employers as a group pay $212,530.

Location matters even more. Louisiana reports a median of $502,720, an outlier far above every other state, followed by Idaho at $297,680, New Hampshire at $273,410, Montana at $273,260, and Wisconsin. At the bottom are West Virginia at $158,470, Georgia at $149,990, and the District of Columbia at $79,240. California has the most pediatricians, 6,680.

Between the 10th percentile, $91,470, and the 90th, $338,500, sits a wide range. BLS does not break pay down by practice ownership, call duties or full- versus part-time work, but its figures do show academic and public-sector jobs at the low end. In real terms the median has slipped: $220,062 in 2019 (in 2025 dollars) against $210,040 in 2025.

Where pediatricians work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Offices of Physicians	63.8%	$207,450
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	24.1%	$217,340
Outpatient Care Centers	5.5%	$237,140
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	4.5%	$106,080
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	1.4%	$209,970
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	0.2%	$209,850

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	36,730	$212,530
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	1,700	$102,600
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	960	$133,290

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

Pediatrician pay over time

Median annual pay, 2019–2025

$210K $175K

2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $175,310 in 2019 to $210,040 in 2025, up 20% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2019 median is worth $220,062 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 5% over the period.

The series starts in 2019 because BLS changed how it defines or publishes this occupation before then, so earlier figures are not comparable.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What pediatricians do

A pediatrician is a medical doctor (MD or DO) who looks after babies, children, teenagers and young adults. General pediatricians do well-child checkups, track growth and development, give vaccines, and treat the everyday run of ear infections, asthma flares, rashes, stomach bugs and sprains. They also screen for developmental delays, ADHD, anxiety and depression, and manage chronic conditions such as diabetes or obesity alongside specialists.

Most pediatricians work in physician offices: nearly two thirds of jobs are there, usually in group practices staffed with nurses, medical assistants and front-desk teams. About a quarter work in general hospitals, where hospitalists care for admitted children and others attend deliveries or examine newborns in the nursery. Smaller numbers work in outpatient centers, universities and public health departments. A big part of the job is talking with parents: explaining a diagnosis, answering worried phone calls and coaching families on sleep, feeding and safety. Office pediatricians often share evening, weekend and phone call coverage.

A typical day

See babies and kids for scheduled checkups, measuring growth and asking about milestones
Give and track vaccines on the recommended childhood schedule
Diagnose sick visits such as fevers, ear and throat infections, asthma and rashes, and write prescriptions
Order and read lab work, X-rays and screening tests, then explain results to parents
Screen for developmental, behavioral and mental health problems and refer to specialists or therapists
Examine newborns in the hospital nursery and follow up after discharge
Chart every visit in the electronic health record and return calls from parents

Also called: pediatrician doctor, developmental pediatrician, emergency room pediatrician (er pediatrician), general pediatrician, group practice pediatrician, medical doctor (md), pediatric emergency medicine physician, pediatric physician.

How to become a pediatrician

Full guide

To become a pediatrician, you finish a bachelor's degree, complete 4 years of medical school (MD or DO), pass the USMLE or COMLEX licensing exams, and complete a 3-year ACGME pediatrics residency before getting a state medical license. That adds up to about 11 years after high school; most then pass the American Board of Pediatrics certifying exam.

Typical time: 11 years; Fastest: About 9-10 years
Minimum education: MD or DO degree plus a 3-year ACGME-accredited pediatrics residency
License: Required in all 50 states and DC (state medical license)
Typical training cost: $215K–$215K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a pediatrician: 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: 11 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $215K–$215K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $210,040; $159,060 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 102–103%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($159,060 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in about 1.3–1.4 years after training ends (11 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 pediatricians

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +1.5%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 42,200; 42,900 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 1,000; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 3.8%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects pediatrician jobs to grow 1.5% from 2025 to 2035, from 42,200 to 42,900, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. The reason is demographic: the number of children in the US is expected to shrink, which limits demand for doctors who treat them. Even so, about 1,000 openings a year are expected, almost all from pediatricians who retire or leave the field.

Related careers and their pay

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

Pediatrician salary FAQ

How much do pediatricians make an hour?

The median hourly wage for pediatricians was $100.98 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $43.98 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $162.74. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays pediatricians the most?

Louisiana has the highest median pay for pediatricians, $502,720 a year, followed by Idaho ($297,680) and New Hampshire ($273,410). After adjusting for each state's price level, Louisiana comes out ahead at about $569,932 in national-average dollars.

Do pediatricians make $200,000 a year?

Most do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 50% and 75% of pediatricians earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $210,040, and the top 10% earn more than $338,500. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Is a pediatrician a real doctor?

Yes. A pediatrician holds an MD or DO degree, passed the same national licensing exams as every other physician, and completed a three-year residency devoted to children. Most also earn board certification from the American Board of Pediatrics. Pediatric nurse practitioners and physician assistants also see children, but they train for a shorter time and are not physicians.

What is the difference between a pediatrician and a family doctor?

A pediatrician trains only in the care of children, with residency time in newborn nurseries, neonatal and pediatric intensive care, and the pediatric emergency department. A family medicine physician treats every age, from infants to older adults, and also trains in adult medicine and often obstetrics. A family doctor can care for a whole household; a pediatrician focuses on child development, childhood illnesses and children with complex conditions.

Where do pediatricians work besides clinics?

About a quarter work in general hospitals, as pediatric hospitalists, newborn nursery doctors or in children's emergency departments. Others work in outpatient care centers, university medical schools where they also teach and do research, specialty children's hospitals and local health departments. Some pediatricians leave direct patient care for roles in public health, school health programs, the pharmaceutical industry or health insurance.

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 29-1221
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1221.00), 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
MCAT Scheduling Fees, Association of American Medical Colleges · checked October 28, 2026
Cost of Applying to Medical School, Association of American Medical Colleges · checked October 28, 2026
Apply for USMLE Exams, USMLE (FSMB and NBME) · checked October 28, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions, National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners · checked October 28, 2026
ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Pediatrics, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education · checked October 28, 2026
Exam Dates and Fees for General Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics · checked October 28, 2026
Admission Requirements for General Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics · checked October 28, 2026
MOC Enrollment and Fees, American Board of Pediatrics · checked October 28, 2026
Combined Residencies, American Board of Pediatrics · checked October 28, 2026
Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine certification; General Criteria for Subspecialty Certification, American Board of Pediatrics · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) · checked October 28, 2026
Time-Limited Eligibility for General Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics · checked October 28, 2026

Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.