What it is
Pathologists diagnose disease by examining tissue, cells, and lab results — the science behind most medical diagnoses. Anatomic pathology examines tissue; clinical pathology runs the lab.
What you do
They read biopsies and specimens, direct laboratory testing, and confirm diagnoses that guide treatment; forensic pathologists investigate deaths.
Training path & length
3–4 year residency (AP, CP, or combined AP/CP), with fellowships.
Fellowship subspecialties
Fellowships include hematopathology, forensic pathology, cytopathology, surgical pathology, molecular pathology, and dermatopathology.
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.
Pathologists earn around the physician median, with subspecialty and setting affecting pay.
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
- Residency3–4 years (AP/CP)
- FocusTissue, cell, and lab diagnosis
- FellowshipsHematopathology, forensic, cytopathology, molecular
- SettingLaboratory
- EntryMD or DO via the match