🏥
Hospitals and Health Systems
Mayo Clinic, HCA Healthcare, Cleveland Clinic
Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Obstetricians and gynecologists care for women through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery, while also diagnosing and treating reproductive health problems. The work stands out because it combines ongoing patient care with urgent decisions and procedures, and the tradeoff is clear: strong pay and high responsibility, but long training, unpredictable call schedules, and very high stakes when something goes wrong.
Also known as OB/GYN PhysicianObstetrician/GynecologistOB-GYNWomen’s Health PhysicianObstetrics and Gynecology Doctor
Median Salary
$0
Mean $281,130
U.S. Workforce
~20K
0.6K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+1.2%
21.5K to 21.7K
Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Obstetricians and Gynecologists sits in the Healthcare category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~20K workers, with a median annual pay of $0 and roughly 0.6K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 21.5 K in 2024 to 21.7K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Post-doctoral training in obstetrics and gynecology, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Resident Physician and can progress toward Senior OB/GYN / Practice Lead. High-value skills usually include Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, and Active Learning, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, and Empathy.
Core Responsibilities
- Follow patients through pregnancy, delivery, and the weeks after birth.
- Use exams, test results, and medical histories to figure out what is causing a health problem.
- Explain diagnoses, procedures, and treatment options in plain language so patients can make decisions.
- Advise patients on diet, activity, hygiene, and other habits that help prevent problems.
Keep exploring: more Healthcare careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Follow patients through pregnancy, delivery, and the weeks after birth.
02 Use exams, test results, and medical histories to figure out what is causing a health problem.
03 Explain diagnoses, procedures, and treatment options in plain language so patients can make decisions.
04 Advise patients on diet, activity, hygiene, and other habits that help prevent problems.
05 Keep charts, histories, and exam findings organized and up to date.
06 Work with nurses, midwives, anesthesiologists, and other doctors to coordinate care and adjust treatment when a patient's condition changes.
Industries That Hire
🩺
Private OB/GYN Practices
Unified Women's Healthcare, Axia Women's Health, Women's Care
🎓
Academic Medical Centers
Johns Hopkins Medicine, Mass General Brigham, UCLA Health
🧬
Fertility and Reproductive Health Clinics
Kindbody, CCRM Fertility, Shady Grove Fertility
🇺🇸
Government and Military Health
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Indian Health Service, U.S. Army Medical Department
Pros and Cons
Advantages
+
Pay is very strong, with a mean annual wage of $281,130.
+
The work has immediate, visible impact because you help patients through pregnancy, delivery, and recovery.
+
The job mixes diagnosis, procedures, counseling, and team coordination, so the day is rarely repetitive.
+
Employment is steady rather than volatile, with about 19,900 jobs now and 0.6K projected annual openings.
+
Once you are fully trained, you make major clinical decisions and often lead the care team.
Challenges
-
The training path is long and demanding: a doctoral or professional degree plus internship or residency is required, with no work experience needed beforehand but many years of schooling before you start earning this salary.
-
Growth is only 1.2% from 2024 to 2034, so the field is not expanding much and most openings come from replacement rather than new demand.
-
Night calls, weekend shifts, and emergency deliveries can make personal time hard to protect.
-
The job carries serious medical and legal risk because decisions can affect both parent and baby in a matter of minutes.
-
There is a structural ceiling for many physicians unless they move into subspecialties, ownership, or administration; the core role itself does not scale much.
Career Progression
Resident Physician
0-3 years
$65K-$79K
This is the early training stage after medical school, where work is supervised and focused on learning hospital routines, patient evaluation, and basic procedures.
OB/GYN Resident
3-4 years
$80K-$99K
Residents take on more responsibility for prenatal care, deliveries, and gynecology cases, but they still work under attending physicians.
Obstetrician and Gynecologist THIS ROLE
4-12 years
$250K-$320K
At this level, doctors diagnose reproductive health issues, manage pregnancies and births, perform procedures, and make major treatment decisions.
Senior OB/GYN / Practice Lead
12+ years
$320K-$420K
Experienced physicians often supervise other clinicians, handle more complex cases, and may also manage clinic operations or hospital coverage.
Education Paths
Post-doctoral training in obstetrics and gynecology
The most common route, held by 74.01% of workers in this role, usually means medical school followed by a residency in obstetrics and gynecology.
Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
A doctoral degree is listed for 22.54% of workers, and it is the base degree before the required internship and residency.
First professional medical degree
A smaller share, 3.45%, are counted here, but they still need the same internship or residency training before independent practice.
Key Skills
Technical
Critical Thinking 88%
Reading Comprehension 85%
Active Learning 82%
Complex Problem Solving 80%
Judgment and Decision Making 80%
Monitoring 80%
Electronic Health Records (Epic, Cerner) & Clinical Documentation 78%
OB Ultrasound, Fetal Monitoring & Labor Assessment 77%
Gynecologic Exams, Pap Smears & Colposcopy 76%
Surgical Procedures, C-Sections & Sterile Technique 75%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningSpeakingEmpathyClear Patient CommunicationTeam CoordinationCalm Under Pressure Job Outlook and Trends
+1.2%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
0.6K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 21.5K to 21.7 K over the next decade, representing 1.2% growth. Around 0.6 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.