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Hospitals
Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Physicians, Pathologists
Physicians, pathologists diagnose disease by examining tissue, cells, and lab results, then translate those findings into answers other doctors can use for treatment. The work is distinct because the diagnosis often comes from the microscope, not from talking to the patient, and the tradeoff is that highly specialized expertise comes with long training, high responsibility, and limited remote work.
Also known as PathologistSurgical PathologistAnatomic PathologistAnatomic and Clinical PathologistHistopathologist
Median Salary
$0
Mean $266,020
U.S. Workforce
~12K
0.4K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+4.2%
12.6K to 13.1K
Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Physicians, Pathologists 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 ~12K workers, with a median annual pay of $0 and roughly 0.4K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 12.6 K in 2024 to 13.1K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with MD or DO plus pathology residency/fellowship, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Resident Physician and can progress toward Laboratory Medical Director. High-value skills usually include Microscopy, Histology & Slide Review, Molecular Diagnostics (PCR, FISH & NGS), and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) & Special Stains, paired with soft skills such as Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, and Writing.
Core Responsibilities
- Look at tissue and cell samples under a microscope to spot signs of cancer, infection, inflammation, or other disease.
- Use lab tests like PCR, immunostains, and other specialized methods to help confirm what is causing the problem.
- Write clear pathology reports and call surgeons or other physicians when a finding could change treatment right away.
- Explain results to doctors, residents, students, and lab staff so they understand what the diagnosis means and why it matters.
Keep exploring: more Healthcare careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Look at tissue and cell samples under a microscope to spot signs of cancer, infection, inflammation, or other disease.
02 Use lab tests like PCR, immunostains, and other specialized methods to help confirm what is causing the problem.
03 Write clear pathology reports and call surgeons or other physicians when a finding could change treatment right away.
04 Explain results to doctors, residents, students, and lab staff so they understand what the diagnosis means and why it matters.
05 Oversee pathology staff and trainees so specimens are handled correctly and cases move through the lab on schedule.
06 Keep up with new diagnostic methods by reading journals, talking with colleagues, and attending conferences or professional meetings.
Industries That Hire
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Diagnostic Laboratories
Labcorp, Quest Diagnostics, ARUP Laboratories
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Academic Medical Centers
Mass General Brigham, Stanford Health Care, UCLA Health
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Cancer Centers
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center, City of Hope
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Government & Public Health
Veterans Health Administration, CDC, NIH Clinical Center
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is very high, with a mean annual wage of $266,020.
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Demand is fairly steady for such a specialized job, with about 0.4K annual openings and 4.2% projected growth through 2034.
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The work is intellectually demanding in a satisfying way, because each case requires pattern recognition, science, and judgment.
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Your findings directly affect patient treatment, so a careful diagnosis can change surgery, medication, or follow-up decisions.
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The job can include teaching residents, students, and lab staff, which adds variety beyond case review.
Challenges
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The training path is long: the role expects a doctoral or professional degree plus internship/residency, and many workers also complete post-doctoral training.
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Remote work is limited because much of the job depends on microscope review, specimen handling, and in-person lab coordination.
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The field is small, with only about 11,800 workers, so jobs are concentrated in certain hospitals, labs, and metro areas.
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Some routine review and documentation work may be reshaped by digital pathology and automation, which can reduce the amount of straightforward slide reading.
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Budget pressure in hospitals and labs can affect staffing, equipment, and turnaround times, so the work is often done under tight operational constraints.
Career Progression
Resident Physician
0-4 years
$60K-$80K
This stage is focused on training, with heavy supervision, long hours, and a constant stream of cases to learn from.
Pathology Fellow
4-6 years
$80K-$110K
Work becomes more specialized, with deeper exposure to subspecialty cases, sign-outs, and decision-making under attending oversight.
Attending Pathologist THIS ROLE
6-15 years
$240K-$310K
At this level, you independently diagnose cases, call other physicians with results, and help guide lab workflow and teaching.
Senior Pathologist
15-20 years
$310K-$390K
Experienced pathologists often take on tougher consults, supervise others, and spend more time on quality review or subspecialty expertise.
Laboratory Medical Director
20+ years
$390K-$480K
The role shifts toward oversight of the lab, staffing, standards, budgets, and coordination with hospital leadership.
Education Paths
MD or DO plus pathology residency/fellowship
This is the standard route for independent practice, matching the job's doctoral or professional degree expectation and the 62.04% of workers who report post-doctoral training.
Doctoral degree in a biomedical or laboratory medicine field
A substantial 29.22% of workers report a doctoral degree, usually paired with additional post-doctoral training before they work independently.
Master's degree in laboratory science plus certification
A smaller 6.0% of workers report a master's degree, but this path usually leads to lab-adjacent work rather than full physician practice on its own.
Key Skills
Technical
Microscopy, Histology & Slide Review 85%
Molecular Diagnostics (PCR, FISH & NGS) 83%
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) & Special Stains 81%
Laboratory Information Systems (Epic Beaker, Cerner PathNet) 79%
Gross Examination & Specimen Processing 78%
CAP/CLIA Quality Control & Lab Compliance 77%
EMR Documentation & Case Reporting 75%
Soft Skills
Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingWritingActive LearningActive ListeningJudgment and Decision Making Job Outlook and Trends
+4.2%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
0.4K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 12.6K to 13.1 K over the next decade, representing 4.2% growth. Around 0.4 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.