How much do oncologists make in 2026?
BLS does not publish an oncology-specific wage. Oncologists are reported inside SOC 29-1229, Physicians, All Other, which has a national median of $265,930 a year ($127.85 an hour) per OEWS May 2025, a 25th percentile of $102,930 and a 90th percentile of $452,360. Because that series pools many physician specialties, read it as the surrounding physician distribution rather than as an oncology survey. Within oncology, practice economics matter more than the headline: medical oncology income is closely tied to infusion-centre and drug-administration revenue, radiation oncology to equipment-linked treatment volume, and academic appointments sit below both. Employment across the series is projected to grow 2.5% through 2034 with roughly 9,600 openings a year. → Full oncologist career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $265,930 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Oncologists earn a national median $265,930/yr ($127.85/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1229); the P10 to P90 range is $69,170 to $452,360.
- There is no BLS oncology series: these figures come from Physicians, All Other (SOC 29-1229), which pools multiple specialties, so read the distribution rather than the median.
- Oncology income is unusually tied to facility economics — infusion administration in medical oncology and equipment-linked treatment volume in radiation oncology.
- Growth across the series is 2.5% through 2034 with roughly 9,600 openings a year, while cancer incidence in an ageing population continues to rise faster than that.
US Oncologist Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do oncologists earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 29-1229; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1229, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does an oncologist earn at each career stage?
Oncology is a fellowship specialty, so the stages below follow training and practice setting. Each median is anchored to the BLS distribution for SOC 29-1229, the series oncology is reported within.
By State
Which states pay oncologists the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the series national median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Oncology recruitment premiums track cancer-centre coverage gaps rather than wage levels, and regional referral centres in lower-cost states frequently pay above coastal academic appointments.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($305,820), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
oncologist pay by state — all 2 state guides
By Metro
Which cities pay oncologists the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the series national median scaled by the state wage index and then by the published metro index. They describe the wider physicians series and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations for oncology.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise an oncologist’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does oncologist pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Oncologists sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify oncologist wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does an oncologist actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Oncologist Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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