Best degree programs for Pediatricians, General, ranked by enrollment
2 college programs and 184 schools train Pediatricians, General. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $210,040 median wage, 39,390 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
2 college programs at 184 schools train pediatricians, general, graduating 30,267 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Medicine. The job pays a median of $210,040 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About pediatricians, general
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment, as needed.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
2 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 51.1201 | 21,453 | 70.9% | 151 | $33,290 | $23,488 |
| 2 | CIP 51.1202 | 8,814 | 29.1% | 36 | $33,290 | $23,488 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Blacksburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 642 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | — | — | — |
| 2 | Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Erie, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 623 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | — | — | — |
| 3 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 485 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | 81% | — | 85% |
| 4 | Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 452 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | — | — | — |
| 5 | Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 445 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | 63% | $31,672 | 73% |
| 6 | Kansas City University Kansas City, MO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 417 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | — | — | — |
| 7 | New York Institute of Technology Old Westbury, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 404 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | 59% | $22,158 | 81% |
| 8 | Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 368 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | 50% | $18,981 | 63% |
| 9 | Indiana University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder programs | 354 | Medicine | 54% | — | 76% |
| 10 | Rocky Vista University Parker, CO Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 333 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | — | — | — |
| 11 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 328 | Medicine | 84% | — | 58% |
| 12 | Western University of Health Sciences Pomona, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 318 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | — | — | — |
| 13 | Rowan University Glassboro, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs | 316 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | 67% | — | 78% |
| 14 | Wayne State University Detroit, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 309 | Medicine | 58% | — | 81% |
| 15 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 299 | Medicine | 78% | $36,004 | 79% |
| 16 | A T Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville, MO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 284 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | — | — | — |
| 17 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 279 | Medicine | 62% | — | 77% |
| 18 | Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 266 | Medicine | 69% | $26,034 | 81% |
| 19 | Touro University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 260 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | 72% | $27,110 | 61% |
| 20 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 253 | Medicine | 85% | — | 39% |
| 21 | Medical College of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 249 | Medicine | — | — | — |
| 22 | Augusta University Augusta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 247 | Medicine | 49% | — | 86% |
| 23 | Midwestern University - Glendale Glendale, AZ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 245 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | — | — | — |
| 24 | The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 242 | Medicine | — | — | — |
| 25 | Ohio University - Main Campus Athens, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 237 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | 65% | — | 85% |
| 26 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 236 | Medicine | 68% | — | 86% |
| 27 | University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 226 | Medicine | — | — | — |
| 28 | The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Galveston, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 222 | Medicine | — | — | — |
| 29 | University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 222 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | — | — | — |
| 30 | Creighton University Omaha, NE Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 217 | Medicine | 83% | $27,353 | 80% |
| 31 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 217 | Medicine | 85% | — | 80% |
| 32 | Des Moines University - Osteopathic Medical Center West Des Moines, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 214 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | — | — | — |
| 33 | The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio San Antonio, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 209 | Medicine | — | — | — |
| 34 | Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science North Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 206 | Medicine | — | — | — |
| 35 | Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 204 | Medicine | 87% | $27,976 | 37% |
| 36 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 201 | Medicine | 84% | — | 57% |
| 37 | Tufts University Medford, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 201 | Medicine | 94% | $23,570 | 11% |
| 38 | Midwestern University - Downers Grove Downers Grove, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 200 | Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy | — | — | — |
| 39 | New York Medical College Valhalla, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 200 | Medicine | — | — | — |
| 40 | University of Kansas Lawrence, KS Public · 1 feeder programs | 200 | Medicine | 69% | — | 93% |
| 41 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 199 | Medicine | 75% | — | 80% |
| 42 | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 199 | Medicine | 84% | $26,589 | 19% |
| 43 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 196 | Medicine | 88% | — | 61% |
| 44 | University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 195 | Medicine | 79% | — | 60% |
| 45 | Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - New Orleans New Orleans, LA Public · 1 feeder programs | 193 | Medicine | — | — | — |
| 46 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 192 | Medicine | 71% | — | 93% |
| 47 | Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 191 | Medicine | — | — | — |
| 48 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 188 | Medicine | 91% | — | 15% |
| 49 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 188 | Medicine | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 50 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 187 | Medicine | 63% | — | 93% |
What pediatricians, general earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $212,150 | 4,570 | 1.86× | 16 | 2,555 |
| Pennsylvania | $226,440 | 1,120 | 0.73× | 9 | 2,385 |
| Texas | $173,360 | 2,740 | 0.77× | 15 | 2,204 |
| California | $214,140 | 6,680 | 1.45× | 14 | 2,029 |
| Florida | $182,010 | 700 | 0.28× | 8 | 1,429 |
| Illinois | $196,760 | 1,180 | 0.76× | 10 | 1,380 |
| Virginia | $195,940 | 750 | 0.72× | 6 | 1,321 |
| Michigan | $204,690 | 1,340 | 1.20× | 6 | 1,252 |
| Ohio | $217,970 | 2,110 | 1.50× | 7 | 1,247 |
| Missouri | $223,910 | 500 | 0.67× | 6 | 1,230 |
| Tennessee | $176,210 | 740 | 0.90× | 5 | 782 |
| New Jerseymoderate | $201,560 | 1,280 | 1.18× | 3 | 780 |
| Massachusettsmoderate | $221,170 | 2,310 | 2.51× | 4 | 678 |
| North Carolina | $183,550 | 740 | 0.59× | 5 | 677 |
| Georgiamoderate | $149,990 | — | — | 4 | 618 |
| Coloradolimited | $196,440 | 570 | 0.79× | 2 | 512 |
| Louisianamoderate | $502,720 | 40 | 0.08× | 3 | 512 |
| Indianalimited | $177,300 | 1,080 | 1.34× | 2 | 497 |
| Arizonalimited | $233,950 | 1,230 | 1.50× | 2 | 481 |
| Kentuckymoderate | $175,690 | 380 | 0.74× | 3 | 474 |
| Washingtonmoderate | $169,540 | 480 | 0.54× | 3 | 462 |
| District of Columbiamoderate | $79,240 | — | — | 3 | 459 |
| Alabamamoderate | $209,490 | — | — | 3 | 417 |
| Wisconsinlimited | $269,790 | 350 | 0.46× | 2 | 416 |
| South Carolinalimited | $217,120 | 420 | 0.71× | 2 | 378 |
| Iowalimited | $262,440 | 230 | 0.59× | 2 | 376 |
| West Virginiamoderate | $158,470 | 140 | 0.76× | 3 | 357 |
| Nebraskalimited | $175,990 | 290 | 1.11× | 2 | 345 |
| Arkansaslimited | $160,440 | 100 | 0.31× | 2 | 327 |
| Oklahomalimited | $236,780 | 280 | 0.65× | 2 | 322 |
| Mississippilimited | $183,650 | 40 | 0.15× | 2 | 312 |
| Minnesotalimited | $226,660 | 890 | 1.19× | 2 | 310 |
| Connecticutmoderate | $216,830 | 1,310 | 3.06× | 4 | 291 |
| Marylandlimited | $181,640 | 580 | 0.83× | 2 | 251 |
| New Mexicolimited | $202,390 | 270 | 1.21× | 2 | 244 |
| Kansaslimited | $209,840 | 110 | 0.31× | 1 | 200 |
| Mainelimited | $245,920 | 130 | 0.82× | 1 | 170 |
| Idaholimited | $297,680 | 60 | 0.29× | 1 | 149 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $218,080 | 180 | 1.42× | 1 | 147 |
| Utahlimited | $210,360 | 310 | 0.70× | 1 | 129 |
| Oregonlimited | $224,690 | 620 | 1.24× | 1 | 125 |
| Vermontlimited | $215,350 | 130 | 1.65× | 1 | 112 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $273,410 | 210 | 1.21× | 1 | 83 |
| Hawaiilimited | $197,090 | 470 | 2.97× | 1 | 74 |
| North Dakotalimited | $234,950 | 90 | 0.79× | 1 | 64 |
| South Dakotalimited | $257,610 | 80 | 0.73× | 1 | 60 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury in infants and children.
- Examine children regularly to assess their growth and development.
- Treat children who have minor illnesses, acute and chronic health problems, and growth and development concerns.
- Examine patients or order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests to obtain information on medical condition and determine diagnosis.
- Advise patients, parents or guardians, and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
- Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients and parents or guardians.
- Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, or examination results.
- Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
Skills
- Critical Thinking4.3
- Speaking4.3
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.1
- Writing4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Science4.0
- Active Learning4.0
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry5.0
- Therapy and Counseling4.5
- Biology4.4
- Psychology4.3
- Customer and Personal Service4.3
- English Language3.8
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension5.0
- Oral Expression4.9
- Inductive Reasoning4.8
- Problem Sensitivity4.3
- Written Comprehension4.3
- Deductive Reasoning4.1
Core activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others5.0
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.8
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.8
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.8
- Documenting/Recording Information4.7
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.7
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Pediatrician, General
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Pediatricians, General2 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.1201Medicine
- 51.1202Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy
- 61.0115Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Combined Specialty Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.0119Pediatrics/Anesthesiology Combined Specialty Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.0120Pediatrics/Emergency Medicine Combined Specialty Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.0121Pediatrics/Medical Genetics and Genomics Combined Specialty Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.0122Pediatrics/Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Combined Specialty Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.0123Pediatrics/Psychology/Child-Adolescent Psychology Combined Specialty Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1703Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1901Pediatrics Residency Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1902Adolescent Medicine Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1903Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1904Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1905Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1906Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1907Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1908Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1909Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1910Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1911Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1912Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1913Pediatric Nephrology Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1914Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1915Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 61.1917Pediatric Transplant Hepatology Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Pediatrician, General?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Medicine, which awarded 21,453 degrees in 2024-25, 70.9% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Pediatrician, General?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this occupation. The largest are Medicine. Together they graduate about 30,267 people a year.
How much do pediatricians, general earn?+
The median is $210,040 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $91,470 at the 10th percentile to $338,500 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for pediatricians, general growing?+
BLS projects a +0.8% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 1,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
184 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 2 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do pediatricians, general work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Physician, Medical Doctor (MD), General Pediatrician, Group Practice Pediatrician among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-1221.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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