SOC 29-0000

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

71 occupations sorted by median salary

The Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations major group (SOC 29-0000) contains 71 distinct occupations in the BLS Standard Occupational Classification system, each measured individually by the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey in May 2025. Combined U.S. employment across this group reaches approximately 9,823,910 workers based on the OEWS totals for occupations where employment is separately reported. The arithmetic average of the reported occupation medians inside this group is $160,142, which sits between specialized senior roles and entry-level positions in the same functional area.

Pay inside this group is not uniform: it spans from $559,030 for Pediatric Surgeons at the top of the ranking down to $37,640 for Dietetic Technicians at the bottom - a 14.9× spread. That range reflects BLS's deliberately granular SOC taxonomy, which separates roles by required credentials, scope of responsibility, and industry context rather than lumping them into a single averaged bucket. When planning a career move inside this family, the specific SOC code you land under can matter more than the parent group label.

Use this page as a launch pad: each row below links to the occupation's full national profile with percentile bands, state and metro breakdowns, projected 10-year growth, education requirements, and, where BLS publishes them, annual job openings. Remember that OEWS employment figures represent the May 2025 reference date and that wages exclude employer-provided benefits, bonuses, overtime, and equity compensation that often add 20-40% to total real pay, especially in private-sector roles. For career planning, pair these medians with the 10th-to-90th percentile spread on each occupation's page so you understand both floor and ceiling before committing to an educational or certification pathway.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Pediatric Surgeons 29-1243 $559,030
2 Cardiologists 29-1212 $496,010
3 Radiologists 29-1224 $420,860
4 Surgeons, All Other 29-1249 $414,010
5 Anesthesiologists 29-1211 $391,490
6 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric 29-1242 $358,550
7 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 29-1022 $352,220
8 Emergency Medicine Physicians 29-1214 $335,550
9 Dermatologists 29-1213 $328,730
10 Physicians, Pathologists 29-1222 $312,400
11 Prosthodontists 29-1024 $311,180
12 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric 29-1241 $300,080
13 Obstetricians and Gynecologists 29-1218 $292,910
14 Orthodontists 29-1023 $289,140
15 Psychiatrists 29-1223 $281,870
16 Physicians, All Other 29-1229 $265,930
17 General Internal Medicine Physicians 29-1216 $256,560
18 Neurologists 29-1217 $248,560
19 Family Medicine Physicians 29-1215 $244,180
20 Nurse Anesthetists 29-1151 $236,590
21 Dentists, All Other Specialists 29-1029 $224,990
22 Pediatricians, General 29-1221 $210,040
23 Dentists, General 29-1021 $170,950
24 Podiatrists 29-1081 $160,300
25 Medical Dosimetrists 29-2036 $147,470
26 Pharmacists 29-1051 $140,910
27 Optometrists 29-1041 $136,570
28 Physician Assistants 29-1071 $135,880
29 Nurse Midwives 29-1161 $134,040
30 Nurse Practitioners 29-1171 $132,300
31 Veterinarians 29-1131 $130,100
32 Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other 29-1299 $115,210
33 Radiation Therapists 29-1124 $105,310
34 Physical Therapists 29-1123 $102,760
35 Nuclear Medicine Technologists 29-2033 $101,370
36 Occupational Therapists 29-1122 $100,330
37 Genetic Counselors 29-9092 $100,040
38 Dental Hygienists 29-1292 $98,100
39 Speech-Language Pathologists 29-1127 $97,870
40 Registered Nurses 29-1141 $97,550
41 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers 29-2032 $96,590
42 Audiologists 29-1181 $95,780
43 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists 29-2035 $95,480
44 Respiratory Therapists 29-1126 $82,280
45 Orthotists and Prosthetists 29-2091 $81,110
46 Radiologic Technologists and Technicians 29-2034 $80,110
47 Chiropractors 29-1011 $79,200
48 Therapists, All Other 29-1129 $77,930
49 Dietitians and Nutritionists 29-1031 $76,400
50 Acupuncturists 29-1291 $76,040
51 Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians 29-2031 $74,310
52 Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars 29-9021 $68,020
53 Surgical Assistants 29-9093 $66,800
54 Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other 29-9099 $65,790
55 Hearing Aid Specialists 29-2092 $65,160
56 Surgical Technologists 29-2055 $64,650
57 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 29-2061 $64,400
58 Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians 29-2010 $62,930
59 Athletic Trainers 29-9091 $62,520
60 Recreational Therapists 29-1125 $61,960
61 Paramedics 29-2043 $60,600
62 Exercise Physiologists 29-1128 $59,460
63 Medical Records Specialists 29-2072 $51,140
64 Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other 29-2099 $50,290
65 Veterinary Technologists and Technicians 29-2056 $47,380
66 Opticians, Dispensing 29-2081 $47,260
67 Pharmacy Technicians 29-2052 $45,750
68 Ophthalmic Medical Technicians 29-2057 $45,570
69 Psychiatric Technicians 29-2053 $45,130
70 Emergency Medical Technicians 29-2042 $44,470
71 Dietetic Technicians 29-2051 $37,640

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Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

SOC classification from BLS Standard Occupational Classification system, 2018 edition.

Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. These figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS occupational wage data for this SOC major group. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.

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