1Pay
$271,090
Very high national median pay
2025 national median. Top 10% for pay among careers on ChooseField.
Healthcare · Career brief
Physician
Is it a good career to pursue?
The 30-second read
Physician at a glance
Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.
2Demand
3.6%
Slow projected growth
Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Near the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.
3Openings
20,800
Lots of annual openings
Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Top quarter for openings among careers on ChooseField.
4Route in
Medical degree + residency
The specialty-specific route needs verification
Medical degree and residency. Prior-experience requirements vary or need verification.
5The work
Analytical
Problem-solving and analysis dominate the profile
Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.
6The catch
Know this first
What could make this a poor fit
Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.
ChooseField take
The strongest national signals are pay and opening volume; each ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if analytical work appeals to you and you are comfortable with medical school and residency. Main tradeoff: Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.
National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.
Want the evidence behind the snapshot?
Market and path
Pay, outlook, and the route in
The labor-market benchmark for Physician covers the broader BLS group Physicians (29-1210). It does not isolate this specialty.
National median pay (2025)
$271,090
A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.
2025–2035 outlook
3.6%employment growth20,800openings per year
Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.
Typical entry route
A bachelor's degree and medical degree are followed by internship and residency training. Specialty requirements and state licensing affect the full route into practice.
BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.
BLS qualification guidance · Reviewed September 6, 2026.
2025 employment
808,800
Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.
Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Physicians (29-1210).
Actual responsibilities
What you would be trusted to own
Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.
- Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.
- Treat internal disorders, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or problems of the lung, brain, kidney, or gastrointestinal tract.
- Prescribe or administer medication, therapy, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
- Manage and treat common health problems, such as infections, influenza or pneumonia, as well as serious, chronic, and complex illnesses, in adolescents, adults, and the elderly.
Decision-changing realities
What could make this a poor fit
- Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.
- The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.
- The helping mission includes documentation, direct care, and safety-critical routines where a missed detail can affect a patient.
Work profile
What the work emphasizes
O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.
- Assisting and Caring for Others4.9
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.8
- Documenting/Recording Information4.8
- Analyzing Data or Information4.5
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.5
Interest profile
Career interests
O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.
Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.
- Investigative6.8
- Social6.1
- Realistic4.4
- Conventional3.6
- Enterprising2.1
- Artistic1.4
Preparation
What the training must make you competent at
Subject matter
Medicine and Dentistry
Biology
Therapy and Counseling
Psychology
Before choosing the major or training
Run a cheaper test first
- Try an approved first-aid, CPR, patient-care, or health-science workshop. Use supervised training or simulation only.
- Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.
Field-specific evidence
What changes the picture
Projected physician shortage
13,500–86,000
AAMC projected national physician shortage range by 2036 under modeled scenarios.
AAMC · 2036 projection ↗The fuller career guide
How the evidence fits together
The tradeoff that matters most
Medicine remains a high-pay, high-demand profession, but the decision cannot be reduced to earnings. The entry path is doctoral professional education plus residency, so training time and opportunity cost are unusually large even when the demand case is strong.
Common questions
Questions people ask about this career
Is becoming a doctor worth it?
Consider this field if its core work interests you: diagnose and provide nonsurgical treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. Try an introductory project, class, or permitted observation before committing to training. Compare the actual cost and required experience with entry-level work available where you plan to live.
Physician shortage
Workforce projections and employer vacancies answer different questions. A projected national shortage does not establish demand for every specialty in every location. Review the specialty, region, residency route, and employer staffing evidence you would actually be entering.
How long does it take to become a doctor?
BLS describes a bachelor's degree followed by four years of medical school and, depending on specialty, three to nine years of internship and residency. Fellowship training may extend the route. Compare the complete sequence, including when residency earnings begin, rather than treating the degree as the endpoint.
Physician vs physician assistant
Consider Physician if you want to diagnose and provide nonsurgical treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. Consider Physician Assistant if you would rather provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Compare a sample task and the qualification requirements for each before choosing between them.
Adjacent options
Compare before committing
The useful question is not whether one field wins overall, but what changes when you choose a nearby path. Explore the full career guides for Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Dentist, Psychiatrists.
Physician Assistant
- Median pay
- $135,880
- Growth
- 21.1%
Master's degree
Compare side by side →Nurse Practitioner
- Median pay
- $132,300
- Growth
- 41%
Master's degree
Compare side by side →Dentist
- Median pay
- $176,110
- Growth
- 5.6%
Professional dental degree
Compare side by side →Psychiatrists
- Median pay
- $281,870
- Growth
- 7.2%
Doctoral or professional degree
Compare side by side →Sources
- BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections and worker characteristics: pay, employment, openings, education, experience, and training for occupation 29-1210.
- O*NET 29-1216.00 occupation summary: tasks, knowledge, work context, and technologies.
- AAMC: 2036 projection.