What it is
Pediatricians care for the health of infants, children, and adolescents — growth and development, prevention, and childhood illness — through primary care and many subspecialties.
What you do
Pediatricians provide well-child care, immunizations, developmental monitoring, and treatment of childhood illness in clinics and hospitals.
Training path & length
3-year residency, a gateway to pediatric fellowships (1–3 years).
Fellowship subspecialties
Fellowships include neonatology, pediatric cardiology, pediatric hematology/oncology, pediatric critical care, pediatric emergency medicine, and developmental-behavioral pediatrics.
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.
Per BLS, general pediatricians have a median around $212,110 — the lower end among physician specialties, reflecting primary-care reimbursement.
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 years
- TreatsInfants, children, adolescents
- FellowshipsNeonatology, peds cardiology, peds onc, and more
- Pay~$212,110 median (BLS)
- EntryMD or DO via the match