What it is
OB/GYNs care for women's reproductive and general health — pregnancy and childbirth, gynecologic conditions, and preventive care — combining medicine and surgery.
What you do
They provide prenatal care, deliver babies, perform gynecologic surgery, and manage reproductive health across the lifespan.
Training path & length
4-year residency combining obstetrics and gynecologic surgery, with optional fellowships.
Fellowship subspecialties
Fellowships include maternal-fetal medicine (MFM), gynecologic oncology, reproductive endocrinology & infertility (REI), and female pelvic medicine/urogynecology.
Pay & job outlook
Physicians are among the highest-paid professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $275,930 for physicians and surgeons (May 2025), with employment projected to grow about 4% from 2025 to 2035 and ~22,100 openings per year. Pay varies widely by specialty — procedural and surgical fields generally earn more, primary-care and pediatric fields less.
OB/GYNs generally earn above the physician median, reflecting their surgical and on-call work.
How to get there
Become a physician first: earn an MD or DO, then match into this residency through the national match. Licensure requires completing residency and passing the board exams.
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Key facts
- Residency4 years
- FocusPregnancy, childbirth, gynecologic & reproductive health
- FellowshipsMFM, gyn onc, REI, urogynecology
- PayAbove the physician median
- EntryMD or DO via the match