29 Series · SOC 29-1222
Physicians, Pathologists Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $312,400
- Median / year
- $449,970
- Top 10% earn
- +4.2%
- Growth '23–'33
- 11,110
- US workers
Physicians, Pathologists professionals earn a median $312,400/year ($150.19/hr) nationally. The salary ranges from $92,540 (10th percentile) to $449,970 (90th percentile). Employment is projected to grow4.2% from 2023 to 2033, faster than average. The highest-paying state is Pennsylvania at $413,370. Approximately 11,110 people work in this role across the U.S. Entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree. Workplace safety grade: A (Very Safe).
Physicians, Pathologists (SOC 29-1222) pays a national median of $312,400 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $92,540 at the 10th percentile to $449,970 at the 90th, with a mean of $285,420 indicating a compressed distribution clustered near the median. An estimated 11,110 Americans work in this occupation across 33 reporting states and 36 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +4.2% change in employment from 2023 to 2033, which the agency classifies as faster than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 400 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Doctoral or professional degree and internship/residency of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.7 per 100,000 and injury rate of 1.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Pennsylvania pays the highest state median at $413,370, which is +32% above the national figure. The top metro is Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV at $384,550 — metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand.
Median Salary
$312,400
per year
Median Hourly
$150.19/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$285,420
average
Employment
11,110
jobs nationwide
Bar fills relative to a $200K reference ceiling. Marker shows the all-occupations US median for context — anything to the right of it earns above the typical American worker.
Job Outlook (2023–2033)
Projected Growth
+4.2%
Faster than average
Annual Openings
400
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Doctoral or professional degree
On-the-Job Training
Internship/residency
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2023–2033
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.7/100K
Injury Rate
1.5/100
Danger Index
6.4/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Physicians, Pathologists roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Examine microscopic samples to identify diseases or other abnormalities.
- ▸ Diagnose diseases or study medical conditions, using techniques such as gross pathology, histology, cytology, cytopathology, clinical chemistry, immunology, flow cytometry, or molecular biology.
- ▸ Write pathology reports summarizing analyses, results, and conclusions.
- ▸ Communicate pathologic findings to surgeons or other physicians.
- ▸ Identify the etiology, pathogenesis, morphological change, and clinical significance of diseases.
- ▸ Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in pathology.
- ▸ Consult with physicians about ordering and interpreting tests or providing treatments.
- ▸ Analyze and interpret results from tests, such as microbial or parasite tests, urine analyses, hormonal assays, fine needle aspirations (FNAs), and polymerase chain reactions (PCRs).
- ▸ Review cases by analyzing autopsies, laboratory findings, or case investigation reports.
- ▸ Manage medical laboratories.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$92,540
25th Percentile
$186,300
Median
$312,400
75th Percentile
$372,780
90th Percentile
$449,970
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 33 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $413,370 | +32% above national |
| 2 | West Virginia | $400,070 | +28% above national |
| 3 | Nevada | $384,350 | +23% above national |
| 4 | Illinois | $381,770 | +22% above national |
| 5 | Minnesota | $362,270 | +16% above national |
| 6 | New Jersey | $355,970 | +14% above national |
| 7 | Texas | $345,830 | +11% above national |
| 8 | Indiana | $340,300 | +9% above national |
| 9 | Arizona | $338,290 | +8% above national |
| 10 | Kentucky | $324,390 | +4% above national |
| 11 | Iowa | $323,460 | +4% above national |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $322,950 | +3% above national |
| 13 | New York | $321,550 | +3% above national |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $317,850 | +2% above national |
| 15 | Florida | $313,510 | same as national |
| 16 | Ohio | $309,480 | 1% below national |
| 17 | Michigan | $303,070 | 3% below national |
| 18 | Washington | $300,680 | 4% below national |
| 19 | Colorado | $294,510 | 6% below national |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $285,240 | 9% below national |
| 21 | Missouri | $261,830 | 16% below national |
| 22 | Mississippi | $261,570 | 16% below national |
| 23 | Maryland | $253,670 | 19% below national |
| 24 | North Carolina | $248,940 | 20% below national |
| 25 | Virginia | $240,780 | 23% below national |
| 26 | South Carolina | $236,950 | 24% below national |
| 27 | Nebraska | $229,140 | 27% below national |
| 28 | Kansas | $224,280 | 28% below national |
| 29 | Arkansas | $214,100 | 31% below national |
| 30 | Georgia | $211,800 | 32% below national |
| 31 | Vermont | $188,250 | 40% below national |
| 32 | California | $186,300 | 40% below national |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $83,610 | 73% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 36 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $384,550 | +23% above national |
| 2 | Corpus Christi, TX | $373,420 | +20% above national |
| 3 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $365,830 | +17% above national |
| 4 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $362,620 | +16% above national |
| 5 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $362,470 | +16% above national |
| 6 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $349,470 | +12% above national |
| 7 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $342,090 | +10% above national |
| 8 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $336,660 | +8% above national |
| 9 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $333,330 | +7% above national |
| 10 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $332,570 | +6% above national |
| 11 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $329,970 | +6% above national |
| 12 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $327,770 | +5% above national |
| 13 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $319,880 | +2% above national |
| 14 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $319,340 | +2% above national |
| 15 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $317,890 | +2% above national |
| 16 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $316,150 | +1% above national |
| 17 | Oklahoma City, OK | $315,520 | +1% above national |
| 18 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $305,600 | 2% below national |
| 19 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $300,580 | 4% below national |
| 20 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $291,510 | 7% below national |
| 21 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $288,900 | 8% below national |
| 22 | Columbus, OH | $285,280 | 9% below national |
| 23 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $285,240 | 9% below national |
| 24 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $283,430 | 9% below national |
| 25 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $272,300 | 13% below national |
| 26 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $270,000 | 14% below national |
| 27 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $248,420 | 20% below national |
| 28 | Richmond, VA | $240,220 | 23% below national |
| 29 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $237,190 | 24% below national |
| 30 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $224,280 | 28% below national |
| 31 | Omaha, NE-IA | $214,920 | 31% below national |
| 32 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $207,450 | 34% below national |
| 33 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,300 | 40% below national |
| 34 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $143,120 | 54% below national |
| 35 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $140,230 | 55% below national |
| 36 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $70,480 | 77% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 29 (healthcare practitioners) with comparable pay and career paths.
Salary Guides
Primary source data
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Physicians, Pathologists make? ▼
What state pays Physicians, Pathologists the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Physicians, Pathologists? ▼
How dangerous is being a Physicians, Pathologists? ▼
Is Physicians, Pathologists a good career? ▼
How does Physicians, Pathologists pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Physicians, Pathologists? ▼
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.