Career
Physicians, pathologists
Study tissue and fluids to find the cause of disease.
$312,400
Median pay
+4.8%
Job growth, 2025–35
300
Openings a year
Doctoral or professional degree
Typical education
7–8 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Examine microscopic samples to identify diseases or other abnormalities.
- Diagnose diseases or study medical conditions, using techniques such as gross pathology, histology, cytology, cytopathology, clinical chemistry, immunology, flow cytometry, or molecular biology.
- Write pathology reports summarizing analyses, results, and conclusions.
- Communicate pathologic findings to surgeons or other physicians.
- Identify the etiology, pathogenesis, morphological change, and clinical significance of diseases.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Examine microscopic samples to identify diseases or other abnormalities.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Writing, Critical Thinking, Active Listening.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
7–8 years of education after high school (doctoral or professional degree), for a median of $312,400 a year and 300 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- MedicineCIP 51.1201
- Osteopathic Medicine/OsteopathyCIP 51.1202
- Medical Toxicology Fellowship ProgramCIP 61.0208
- Dermatopathology Fellowship ProgramCIP 61.0502
- Combined Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency ProgramCIP 61.1801
- Anatomic Pathology Residency ProgramCIP 61.1802
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Pediatric Surgeons$559,030 · +2.0%
- Cardiologists$496,010 · +4.8%
- Radiologists$420,860 · +3.4%
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists
- Allergists and Immunologists
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.