Pediatricians (General)
O*NET title: Pediatricians, General
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment, as needed.
Also called: Baby Doctor, Developmental Pediatrician, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician, DO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician), Doctor, Emergency Room Pediatrician (ER Pediatrician)
Median pay
$210,040
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$91,470 – $338,500
People employed
39,390
Holland code
SIR
Social · Investigative · Realistic
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you prefer working indoors?
- 2.Do you want a lot of freedom to make your own decisions?
- 3.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 4.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 5.Do you prefer a steady pace without constant deadlines?
- 6.Do you want variety, with new tasks often?
The hard parts
- Exposure to disease or infection
- Long hours on your feet
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
Pediatricians (General) pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (48 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What pediatricians (general) do
- 01Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury in infants and children.
- 02Examine children regularly to assess their growth and development.
- 03Treat children who have minor illnesses, acute and chronic health problems, and growth and development concerns.
- 04Examine patients or order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests to obtain information on medical condition and determine diagnosis.
- 05Advise patients, parents or guardians, and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
- 06Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients and parents or guardians.
Skills that matter most
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Science
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Therapy and Counseling
- Biology
- Psychology
- Customer and Personal Service
Work styles that stand out
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Cooperation
- Achievement Orientation
- Social Orientation
- Self-Control
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a graduate degree (O*NET Job Zone 5).
- Related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
- A professional certification is often expected.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from pediatricians (general)
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologists61% · −8%
- Clinical Research Coordinators59% · group pay
- Genetic Counselors56% · −52%
- Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary56% · −62%
- Midwives56% · group pay
Majors that lead here
- Medicine
- Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy
- Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Combined Specialty Program
- Pediatrics/Anesthesiology Combined Specialty Program
- Pediatrics/Emergency Medicine Combined Specialty Program
- Pediatrics/Medical Genetics and Genomics Combined Specialty Program
- Pediatrics/Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Combined Specialty Program
- Pediatrics/Psychology/Child-Adolescent Psychology Combined Specialty Program
- Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship Program
- Pediatrics Residency Program
- Adolescent Medicine Fellowship Program
- Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship Program
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.