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Hospitals and Health Systems
Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente
Physicians, All Other
These physicians handle patients whose problems do not fit neatly into a single routine category, whether that means a rare condition, a complicated follow-up case, or a subspecialty like allergy and immunology. The work centers on careful diagnosis, tailored treatment plans, and constant coordination with other clinicians; the tradeoff is high autonomy paired with high-stakes decisions and years of training.
Also known as PhysicianStaff PhysicianAttending PhysicianClinical PhysicianConsulting Physician
Median Salary
$0
Mean $253,470
U.S. Workforce
~315K
9.6K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+2.5%
340.7K to 349.3K
Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Physicians, All Other 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 ~315K workers, with a median annual pay of $0 and roughly 9.6K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 340.7 K in 2024 to 349.3K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Medical doctorate and residency, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Resident Physician and can progress toward Medical Director. High-value skills usually include Medical Reading Comprehension, Clinical Critical Thinking, and Active Listening with Patients, paired with soft skills such as Empathy and bedside manner, Clear explanations for patients, and Teamwork with nurses and specialists.
Core Responsibilities
- Examine patients and review their symptoms, history, and test results.
- Figure out what is causing a problem by comparing lab work, scans, and other diagnostic findings.
- Build a treatment plan that fits the patient’s condition, risks, and preferences.
- Prescribe medicines or adjust treatments when the first plan is not working.
Keep exploring: more Healthcare careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Examine patients and review their symptoms, history, and test results.
02 Figure out what is causing a problem by comparing lab work, scans, and other diagnostic findings.
03 Build a treatment plan that fits the patient’s condition, risks, and preferences.
04 Prescribe medicines or adjust treatments when the first plan is not working.
05 Work with nurses, specialists, and other staff to coordinate follow-up care.
06 Document visits and keep up with continuing medical education and current research.
Industries That Hire
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Academic Medical Centers
Johns Hopkins Medicine, Mass General Brigham, UCSF Health
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Outpatient and Specialty Clinics
One Medical, Oak Street Health, MedStar Health
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Health Insurance and Utilization Review
UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Aetna
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Biotechnology and Pharma
Pfizer, Amgen, Johnson & Johnson
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is very strong, with a mean annual wage of $253,470.
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Demand is steady rather than disappearing, with 9.6 thousand projected annual openings from 2024 to 2034.
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The job offers real autonomy: physicians make the final call on diagnosis and treatment rather than following a fixed script.
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The work stays intellectually demanding because many cases involve test results, changing symptoms, and complicated risk-benefit choices.
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There are many settings to work in, from hospitals and specialty clinics to academic centers, insurance review, and pharma.
Challenges
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The training path is long and costly: the role typically requires a doctoral or professional degree plus internship or residency, so full earnings come late.
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Growth is modest at 2.5% from 2024 to 2034, so this is not a field that is expanding fast.
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Because this is a catch-all occupation bucket, job openings can be niche and tied to specific employer needs rather than a broad, easy-to-compare career ladder.
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The job carries high-stakes responsibility; a wrong call can affect a patient’s health and may expose the physician to liability.
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A lot of time goes into charting, coordination, and in-person care, so the work can feel administratively heavy and is rarely fully remote.
Career Progression
Resident Physician
0-4 years
$60K-$85K
Works under supervision, handles routine patient care, and learns how to manage complex cases safely.
Attending Physician
5-12 years
$220K-$300K
Practices independently, makes diagnoses and treatment decisions, and often supervises trainees or support staff.
Senior Specialist THIS ROLE
13-20 years
$300K-$420K
Takes on harder cases, leads a subspecialty clinic or service, and helps shape treatment protocols.
Medical Director
20+ years
$420K-$550K
Balances patient care with leadership, quality improvement, staffing, and program decisions.
Education Paths
Medical doctorate and residency
This is the standard route for physicians; the BLS says the typical entry point is a doctoral or professional degree, and 35.21% of workers in the O*NET distribution are at the doctoral-degree level.
Post-doctoral training after medical school
This is the largest group in the O*NET distribution, with 56.42% of workers listed at the post-doctoral training level, which fits the residency and fellowship stage.
First professional degree
A smaller share of workers, 1.91%, are listed at the first-professional-degree level, making this a much less common route than the main medical-school-and-residency path.
Key Skills
Technical
Medical Reading Comprehension 86%
Clinical Critical Thinking 84%
Active Listening with Patients 83%
Medical Judgment & Decision Making 82%
Patient Communication 81%
Complex Problem Solving 80%
Monitoring Clinical Changes 80%
Medical Writing & Charting 79%
Electronic Health Records (Epic, Cerner) 78%
Diagnostic Test Interpretation & Differential Diagnosis 77%
Soft Skills
Empathy and bedside mannerClear explanations for patientsTeamwork with nurses and specialistsCalm judgment under pressureAttention to detailWillingness to keep learning Job Outlook and Trends
+2.5%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
9.6K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 340.7K to 349.3 K over the next decade, representing 2.5% growth. Around 9.6 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.