A pediatrician provides medical care to infants, children, and adolescents. You diagnose and treat illnesses, monitor growth and development, and build long-term relationships with families. It requires a doctoral degree and extensive training, but offers meaningful work in healthcare.
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Pediatricians examine and treat children from birth through adolescence. You diagnose illnesses, prescribe medications, perform preventive care, and monitor development. You communicate with parents and caregivers about health concerns, document medical records, and stay current with medical advances. You make clinical decisions based on symptoms and test results, and you work with other healthcare professionals to coordinate care. The role combines direct patient care with ongoing learning in medicine and child development.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Pediatricians, General earn a median of $210,040 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is modest. Employment is projected to grow 1 percent from 2024 to 2034, little or no change for all occupations, with about 1,200 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
You need a doctoral degree in medicine, which typically follows a bachelor's degree with science prerequisites. Medical school takes four years, followed by a residency program in pediatrics lasting three years or more. During residency, you train in hospitals and clinics under supervision, learning to care for children with various conditions. You must also obtain a medical license and meet any certification requirements in your state. This path requires strong academic performance and commitment to extensive training.
The route to becoming a pediatrician is long and demanding, requiring medical school and residency training. If you are committed to this path and want to map out each step, Pathly can map the pediatrician, general path that fits you and work through it with your counselor to stay on track.
You do not need a license to work as a pediatrician, general, but professional certifications can strengthen your resume.
Common certifications
You thrive in roles centered on helping others. You value building relationships, communicating clearly, and solving complex problems with critical thinking and active listening.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
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Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).