Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Doctoral or professional degree
None
Internship/residency
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Physicians, pathologists are specialized medical doctors who typically hold a doctoral or professional degree. National employment stands at 13,000, with projected employment growth of 4.2%. This growth suggests steady long-term demand for professionals in this field. While national median salary is not supplied, state and metro-level data show that pay can be substantial in many locations. Opportunity varies by region, with states such as California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Washington showing notable CareerGPS opportunity scores. Several large metro areas also stand out, including New York-Newark-Jersey City, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim. The role draws on a blend of science, critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making, and strong communication skills like speaking, listening, and writing and reading. For those prepared for extensive education and training, this career can offer a combination of specialized work and strong regional opportunities.
Earning potential for physicians, pathologists is reflected in state and metro-level median salary data. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $186,300 in California to $321,550 in New York. Massachusetts shows a median salary of $285,240, while Colorado and Washington show $294,510 and $300,680 respectively. At the metro level, median salaries are also high. The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro reports $327,770, and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim reports $319,340. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara shows a median salary of $248,420, while Washington-Arlington-Alexandria and Boston-Cambridge-Newton report $237,190 and $285,240. These figures indicate that compensation can vary meaningfully by location, even among regions with strong overall opportunity scores. Candidates considering this career may want to weigh both salary levels and other factors such as employment counts and opportunity scores when evaluating specific regions.
Physicians, pathologists have national employment of 13,000, with projected employment growth of 4.2%. This projected growth indicates that the occupation is expected to expand over time. Annual openings are listed as 0, which suggests that detailed data on yearly hiring needs is not available in this context, even though overall employment is projected to grow. At the state and metro levels, the same 4.2% growth rate is associated with leading regions such as California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, Washington, and several major metro areas. Together, these figures point to a field that is not static and has anticipated increases in employment. Individuals planning a long-term career as a pathologist can view the 4.2% projected growth as a signal of continued demand, while keeping in mind that movement into specific jobs will depend on regional conditions and openings that are not fully captured by the annual openings figure provided here.
Location plays a significant role in career planning for physicians, pathologists. Among states, New York stands out with a median salary of $321,550 and employment of 1,220, paired with a CareerGPS opportunity score of 65.78. Massachusetts offers a median salary of $285,240 and employment of 320, with a similar opportunity score of 65.87. California combines the largest employment among these highlighted states at 1,790 with a median salary of $186,300 and an opportunity score of 67.38, the highest among the listed states. Colorado and Washington show smaller employment levels (50 and 200) but offer median salaries near or above $294,510 and $300,680, with opportunity scores in the mid-50s. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara have the highest opportunity scores (77.27 and 77.42) and strong median salaries. Other metros such as Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria also provide notable combinations of salary, employment, and opportunity scores.
The typical education requirement for physicians, pathologists is a doctoral or professional degree. This reflects the depth of scientific and medical knowledge needed in the field. Success in this career draws on a strong set of skills. Science is central, supported by mathematics and critical and analytical thinking. Detail oriented work, problem solving and decision making, and adaptability are also key components of the skill profile. Effective communication matters as well, with speaking and listening plus writing and reading included among the top skills. Project management and familiarity with computers and information technology round out the list, indicating that pathologists benefit from both organizational skills and comfort with technical tools. Individuals considering this path should be prepared for extensive advanced education and training, along with ongoing development of both scientific expertise and communication capabilities. Similar careers that may appeal to the same education-focused audience include cardiologists, general internal medicine physicians, microbiologists, radiologists, and podiatrists.
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