How much does a pediatrician make?
A general pediatrician makes $210,040 at the U.S. median, with the bottom 10% under $91,470 and the top 10% above $338,500.[onet_peds] The BLS mean is $212,110.[oews_api] These figures cover general pediatrics (SOC 29-1221); pediatric surgeons are a separate occupation with their own figures below.[onet_peds]
| Pay level | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (average) | $212,110 | $101.98 | $157,846 |
| 10th | $91,470 | $43.98 | $73,179 |
| 25th | $138,290 | $66.49 | $105,787 |
| Median (50th) | $210,040 | $100.98 | $156,321 |
| 75th | $273,700 | $131.59 | $198,700 |
| 90th | $338,500 | $162.74 | $239,297 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare (with the 0.9% surtax over $200,000); before state tax.
BLS counts 39,390 employed general pediatricians. Pediatricians who own their practice are not surveyed, so the figures describe salaried and hospital-employed doctors.[oews_tec]
Pediatrician salary per hour
On BLS's 2,080-hour year a pediatrician earns $100.98 an hour at the median, $66.49 at the 25th percentile and $131.59 at the 75th.[oews_faq] The hourly number is the annual salary divided by 2,080; actual hours, call and clinic schedules vary.
Pediatrician salary by state
Louisiana pays general pediatricians the highest exact average, $378,020, followed by South Dakota ($288,400) and Montana ($284,770); District of Columbia is lowest at $116,210.[oews_api] No May 2025 estimate was released for Nevada or Wyoming. The state spread, $261,810 between the top and bottom, is larger than the gap between pediatrics and several better-paid specialties.
| State | Mean | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Louisiana | $378,020 | $502,720 | $161,820 | $555,290 | 40 |
| 2. South Dakota | $288,400 | $257,610 | $212,910 | $385,810 | 80 |
| 3. Montana | $284,770 | $273,260 | $161,060 | $385,460 | 50 |
| 4. Alaska | $282,020 | $267,390 | $224,040 | $347,880 | 60 |
| 5. Idaho | $273,550 | $297,680 | $169,880 | $366,480 | 60 |
| 6. Oklahoma | $257,980 | $236,780 | $177,880 | $376,880 | 280 |
| 7. New Hampshire | $255,760 | $273,410 | $104,030 | $334,800 | 210 |
| 8. Wisconsin | $245,400 | $269,790 | $75,590 | $337,560 | 350 |
| 9. Maine | $243,380 | $245,920 | $117,960 | $344,790 | 130 |
| 10. North Dakota | $242,000 | $234,950 | $155,320 | $291,110 | 90 |
| 11. Arizona | $239,830 | $233,950 | $111,020 | $408,620 | 1,230 |
| 12. Alabama | $237,810 | $209,490 | $168,700 | $388,160 | — |
| 13. Pennsylvania | $236,790 | $226,440 | $135,370 | $356,540 | 1,120 |
| 14. South Carolina | $233,160 | $217,120 | $119,020 | $372,000 | 420 |
| 15. Massachusetts | $228,920 | $221,170 | $125,170 | $324,950 | 2,310 |
| 16. Minnesota | $228,400 | $226,660 | $83,920 | $354,620 | 890 |
| 17. Oregon | $228,070 | $224,690 | $165,440 | $312,530 | 620 |
| 18. Illinois | $225,740 | $196,760 | $106,520 | $376,850 | 1,180 |
| 19. Missouri | $225,730 | $223,910 | $65,850 | $344,020 | 500 |
| 20. Ohio | $223,710 | $217,970 | $163,780 | $296,660 | 2,110 |
| 21. Kansas | $221,860 | $209,840 | $127,550 | $310,110 | 110 |
| 22. Iowa | $221,690 | $262,440 | $69,670 | $374,340 | 230 |
| 23. California | $221,480 | $214,140 | $102,600 | $372,460 | 6,680 |
| 24. Utah | $220,460 | $210,360 | $121,790 | $347,540 | 310 |
| 25. Connecticut | $220,010 | $216,830 | $90,890 | $328,620 | 1,310 |
| 26. New Mexico | $216,420 | $202,390 | $112,320 | $313,200 | 270 |
| 27. Rhode Island | $215,550 | $218,080 | $114,650 | $302,640 | 180 |
| 28. Mississippi | $214,380 | $183,650 | $112,120 | $328,010 | 40 |
| 29. Delaware | $213,680 | $219,190 | $82,540 | $302,300 | 180 |
| 30. Nebraska | $210,390 | $175,990 | $71,120 | $460,280 | 290 |
| 31. Virginia | $210,010 | $195,940 | $89,850 | $352,170 | 750 |
| 32. Vermont | $207,630 | $215,350 | $86,790 | $373,000 | 130 |
| 33. New York | $205,770 | $212,150 | $82,320 | $357,440 | 4,570 |
| 34. Maryland | $202,610 | $181,640 | $134,620 | $295,810 | 580 |
| 35. Washington | $201,120 | $169,540 | $95,200 | $299,010 | 480 |
| 36. Colorado | $199,990 | $196,440 | $107,990 | $284,190 | 570 |
| 37. Michigan | $195,760 | $204,690 | $81,550 | $307,240 | 1,340 |
| 38. Indiana | $195,330 | $177,300 | $140,450 | $277,150 | 1,080 |
| 39. Texas | $194,140 | $173,360 | $77,570 | $366,790 | 2,740 |
| 40. New Jersey | $194,010 | $201,560 | $79,800 | $308,390 | 1,280 |
| 41. Tennessee | $188,280 | $176,210 | $69,110 | $376,660 | 740 |
| 42. Kentucky | $188,030 | $175,690 | $65,160 | $338,450 | 380 |
| 43. North Carolina | $183,450 | $183,550 | $85,220 | $297,220 | 740 |
| 44. Arkansas | $182,700 | $160,440 | $64,090 | $300,440 | 100 |
| 45. Hawaii | $177,890 | $197,090 | $102,260 | $289,860 | 470 |
| 46. Florida | $172,610 | $182,010 | $68,590 | $239,990 | 700 |
| 47. West Virginia | $164,720 | $158,470 | $62,510 | $293,940 | 140 |
| 48. Georgia | $153,380 | $149,990 | $87,480 | $254,560 | — |
| 49. District of Columbia | $116,210 | $79,240 | $79,240 | $221,960 | — |
Jobs: BLS OEWS employment estimate, May 2025. “—”: not released. No May 2025 wage estimate for Nevada, Wyoming.
Download all pediatrician wages as CSV (nation, 51 states and every published metro area: mean, 10th–90th percentiles, jobs)
By metro area, these have the highest median pay for general pediatricians.[onet_peds]
| Area | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $605,560 | $198,630 | $605,560 |
| 2. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $395,040 | $239,060 | $395,050 |
| 3. Vallejo, CA | $357,320 | $199,990 | $379,100 |
| 4. York-Hanover, PA | $344,960 | $172,020 | $344,960 |
| 5. St. Cloud, MN | $298,830 | $174,270 | $484,420 |
| 6. Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $290,420 | $93,350 | $375,700 |
| 7. Fresno, CA | $289,290 | $77,030 | $372,460 |
| 8. Manchester-Nashua, NH | $287,040 | $221,240 | $334,790 |
Pediatrician vs family doctor, internist and pediatric surgeon
Pediatrics pays less than the other primary care fields with the same three-year residency: $34,140 below family medicine and $46,520 below general internal medicine at the median.[oews_api] A pediatric surgeon, who treats the same patients after a much longer surgical training, earns a median of $559,030.[onet_pedsurg]
| Career | Median | Mean | Pediatrics median minus this |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatrician (general) | $210,040 | $212,110 | — |
| Family medicine physician | $244,180 | $255,820 | −$34,140 |
| General internal medicine physician | $256,560 | $267,200 | −$46,520 |
| Psychiatrist | $281,870 | $269,940 | −$71,830 |
| Pediatric surgeon | $559,030 | $502,050 | −$348,990 |
Compare pediatrics with any career in your state below. Every specialty is ranked on doctor salary by specialty; the specialties at the other end are on radiologist salary and anesthesiologist salary.
Pediatrician vs another career
BLS May 2025Mean, every published percentile, take-home and job count side by side, nationally or in one state.
United States · BLS May 2025
Family medicine physicians average $43,710 more a year (20.6%).
| Pay | Pediatrician (general) | Family medicine physician | A − B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | $212,110 | $255,820 | −$43,710 |
| 10th | $91,470 | $76,830 | +$14,640 |
| 25th | $138,290 | $162,420 | −$24,130 |
| Median | $210,040 | $244,180 | −$34,140 |
| 75th | $273,700 | $334,270 | −$60,570 |
| 90th | $338,500 | $428,550 | −$90,050 |
| Take-home at mean† | $157,846 | $187,003 | −$29,157 |
| Jobs (BLS) | 39,390 | 107,510 |
†Single filer, 2026 federal tax and FICA, no state tax.
Estimate, not a job offer. BLS survey estimates for employees in May 2025. Practice owners, partnership distributions and locum tenens pay are not included.
Can a pediatrician pay off medical school debt?
Yes, but it takes a larger share of pay than in other specialties. The median medical graduate of 2025 owed $215,000.[aamc_afford] At the 8.07% federal rate for 2026-27 loans, with no payments during a 3-year residency, that balance needs about $3,189 a month over 10 years, or 24.5% of a median pediatrician's take-home pay.[fsa] Total interest comes to $167,638. Change any of these numbers below; income-driven repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness are not modeled.
Pediatrician loan payment calculator
Loan mathWhat the balance grows to during residency and the monthly payment once you earn an attending salary.
$215,000 at 8.07% · 3 training years · 10-year payoff
$3,189 a month after training
That is 24.5% of take-home pay on $210,040 (single filer, 2026 federal tax and FICA) · total interest $167,638
| Balance at graduation | $215,000 |
|---|---|
| Paid during training ($0/mo) | $0 |
| Owed when training ends | $267,052 |
| Unpaid interest in that balance | $52,052 |
| Total repaid | $382,638 |
Simple interest on principal; unpaid interest is paid first and not capitalized. Income-driven plans, forgiveness and refinancing are not modeled.
Estimate, not a job offer. Arithmetic on your inputs. Income-driven repayment, Public Service Loan Forgiveness and refinancing change the answer; check studentaid.gov or your servicer.
How long does it take to become a pediatrician?
It takes about 11 years after high school to become a general pediatrician: four years of college, four of medical school and a 3-year pediatrics residency.[acgme_peds][ooh_phys] Pediatrics residency is 36 months. Residents earn a stipend while they train, from a mean of $68,166 in the first year to $73,301 in the third.[aamc_stipend] Subspecialty fellowships add 1 to 3 years.[ooh_phys] Training lengths for every specialty are compared on how long it takes to become a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a pediatrician make a year?
$210,040 at the U.S. median and $212,110 on average, BLS May 2025.
What state pays pediatricians the most?
Louisiana, with an average of $378,020; South Dakota and Montana come next.
How much does a pediatrician make per hour?
About $100.98 at the median on BLS's 2,080-hour year.
How long does it take to become a pediatrician?
About 11 years after high school: 4 of college, 4 of medical school and a 3-year residency.
Sources
- Local Wages: 29-1221.00 Pediatrician (general) (national, state and metro percentiles)
- Local Wages: 29-1243.00 Pediatric surgeon (national, state and metro percentiles)
- OEWS May 2025 employment, mean and percentile wage series (OEUN/OEUS), Public Data API v2
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS Frequently Asked Questions: changes in wage data processing (specific estimates above the $239,200 boundary from May 2025); 2,080-hour year
- Technical Notes for May 2025 OEWS Estimates (scope: wage and salary workers; self-employed excluded)
- ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Pediatrics (Requirement 4.1, length of program)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physicians and Surgeons
- AAMC Survey of Resident/Fellow Stipends and Benefits, 2025 report (stipends as of July 1, 2025)
- You Can Afford Medical School (median 4-year cost of attendance, class of 2026; median debt, class of 2025)
- Interest Rates for Federal Direct Loans First Disbursed Between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)