How much do pediatricians make in 2026?
Paediatricians earn a national median of $210,040 a year ($100.98 an hour) per BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 29-1221). The 25th percentile is $138,290 and the 90th percentile reaches $338,500, with the published 10th percentile of $91,470 reflecting residents and fellows inside the same occupational code. General paediatrics sits toward the lower end of physician compensation because its revenue is dominated by well-child visits and immunisations paid at paediatric rates, with a high share of Medicaid coverage. Subspecialty practice, hospital-based paediatrics and practice ownership occupy the upper percentiles. Employment growth is 0.8% through 2034, roughly flat, with about 1,200 openings a year. → Full pediatrician career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $210,040 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Pediatricians earn a national median $210,040/yr ($100.98/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1221); the P10 to P90 range is $91,470 to $338,500.
- General paediatrics sits at the lower end of physician pay because the payer mix is weighted toward preventive visits and Medicaid rates rather than procedures.
- The $138,290 25th percentile is the realistic attending floor; the published $91,470 P10 reflects paediatric residents and fellows in the same occupational code.
- Employment is projected to grow just 0.8% through 2034 with roughly 1,200 openings a year, reflecting a falling birth rate alongside persistent shortages in specific subspecialties.
US Pediatrician Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do pediatricians 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 29-1221; 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 29-1221, 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 a pediatrician earn at each career stage?
Paediatrics has no licence tiers above board certification, so the stages below follow training, subspecialty and setting. Each median is anchored to the BLS distribution for SOC 29-1221.
By State
Which states pay pediatricians the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. In paediatrics the local payer mix matters more than the wage index: a practice with a high Medicaid share earns less per visit regardless of the state's general wage level.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($241,550), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
pediatrician pay by state — all 10 state guides
By Metro
Which cities pay pediatricians the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by the published metro index for that state. They are illustrative wage levels rather than BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a pediatrician’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 pediatrician pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Pediatricians 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 pediatrician wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a pediatrician 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
Pediatrician Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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