Nearly 30,000 pediatricians were employed nationwide as of 2009, says the BLS.
A pediatrician is a type of medical doctor who specializes in the care and treatment of infants, children, teenagers and young adults. Like all medical doctors, pediatricians must complete four years of undergraduate school, four years of medical school and up to four years of residency before they can practice medicine. The salary of a pediatrician varies depending on the type of facility he works in and its geographic location, as well as his level of experience and the size of his practice.
Average Salary Nationwide
The average salary for a pediatrician in the United States is $161,410 as of 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics; this translates to a mean wage per hour of $77.60. The BLS indicates that across the nation, the top 10 percent of pediatricians earned more than $166,400 per year, or $80 per hour. In contrast, the lower 10 percent earned $40.79 per hour, or $84,840 annually.
Salary by Occupation
The bureau reports that the majority of pediatricians work in physician offices, where they earn an average annual salary of $163,630. In general medical and surgical hospitals, the average is $159,570, while those in outpatient care centers earn higher wages at $171,300. Specialty hospitals offer pediatricians an annual average salary of $159,470, while those working for the local government earn the highest salary at $175,940 annually.
Salary by Geography
Wages for pediatricians vary from one state to the next. The bureau names Iowa as the top paying state for this occupation with a salary average of $206,390, while Nebraska comes in second at $200,280. Minnesota, Arkansas and Kentucky also rank as high-paying states with salary averages ranging from $196,210 to $199,440 for pediatricians.
Job Outlook
The bureau predicts the employment outlook for all medical doctors, including pediatricians, will increase 22 percent between 2008 and 2018. Opportunities are particularly positive for pediatricians seeking work in rural or low-income areas, as they tend to have difficulty attracting workers.
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