Skip to content
Career Change Finder
Healthcare · Usually needs a graduate degree

Urologists

Diagnose, treat, and help prevent benign and malignant medical and surgical disorders of the genitourinary system and the renal glands.

Also called: Acute Care Physician, DO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician), General Urologist, Male Infertility Specialist, MD (Medical Doctor), Neurourologist

Is this career right for me?

Median pay

$265,930

Pay for the broader BLS group “Physicians, All Other”

Pay range (10th–90th)

$69,170 – $452,360

People employed

342,720

Whole BLS group

Holland code

ISR

Investigative · Social · 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. 1.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
  2. 2.Do you want a lot of freedom to make your own decisions?
  3. 3.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
  4. 4.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
  5. 5.Do you prefer working indoors?
  6. 6.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
  7. 7.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
  8. 8.Do you want the same hours every week?

The hard parts

  • Exposure to disease or infection
  • Tight deadlines are common
  • Mistakes can have serious consequences

Urologists pay by state

Highest-paying states

North Dakota$454,550
Montana$438,850
Maine$419,410
Wisconsin$391,740
Minnesota$367,320

Lowest-paying states

District of Columbia$77,430
Illinois$132,540
Arkansas$136,880

Annual median pay by state (49 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, for the broader group “Physicians, All Other”.

Urologists salary in every state →

What urologists do

  1. 01Diagnose or treat diseases or disorders of genitourinary organs and tracts including erectile dysfunction (ED), infertility, incontinence, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, urethral stones, or premature ejaculation.
  2. 02Examine patients using equipment, such as radiograph (x-ray) machines or fluoroscopes, to determine the nature and extent of disorder or injury.
  3. 03Order and interpret the results of diagnostic tests, such as prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening, to detect prostate cancer.
  4. 04Document or review patients' histories.
  5. 05Prescribe or administer antibiotics, antiseptics, or compresses to treat infection or injury.
  6. 06Treat urologic disorders using alternatives to traditional surgery such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, laparoscopy, or laser techniques.

Skills that matter most

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Critical Thinking
  • Writing
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Active Learning

Knowledge

  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Biology
  • English Language
  • Education and Training
  • Therapy and Counseling

Work styles that stand out

  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Integrity
  • Cautiousness
  • Intellectual Curiosity

Education and first steps

First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.2%
Doctoral Degree33%
Post-Doctoral Training64%

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: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
  • A professional certification is often expected.

Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.

Interest fit (Holland code)

Realistic4.85
Investigative6.85
Artistic1.31
Social5.45
Enterprising2.22
Conventional3.43

O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.

Career changes

Change from urologists

See all jobs for former urologists →

Majors that lead here

  • Medicine
  • Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy
  • Pain Management
  • Combined Medical Residency/Fellowship Program, General
  • Family Medicine/Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine Combined Specialty Program
  • Family Medicine/Preventive Medicine Combined Specialty Program
  • Internal Medicine/Medical Genetics and Genomics Combined Specialty Program
  • Internal Medicine/Preventive Medicine Combined Specialty Program
  • Medical Genetics and Genomics/Maternal-Fetal Medicine Combined Specialty Program
  • Pediatrics/Medical Genetics and Genomics Combined Specialty Program
  • Pediatrics/Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Combined Specialty Program
  • Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility/Medical Genetics and Genomics Combined Specialty Program

From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.

Free help near you

You can get free career counseling, job search help and, if you qualify, help paying for training through American Job Centers, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Find an American Job CenterFind training programs

Links go to CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Keep exploring

Sources. O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0): description, tasks, skills, knowledge, work styles, education, interests and work context. Pay and employment: BLS OEWS May 2025 (national and state). Majors: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Data Sources & Licenses