How long does the training take?

Typically eight years or more of study, then an internship or residency, often one to three years. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do physicians, all other make?

The US median is $265,930 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

181 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Physicians, all other: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Healthcare (clinical) · SOC 29-1229

$265,930US median pay, 2025

+3.4%Projected growth, 2025–35

9,400Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Doctoral or professional degree
Internship/residency
Work in: physicians, all other

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Medicine	CIP 51.1201	150
Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy	CIP 51.1202	34
Pain Management	CIP 51.1403	0
Combined Medical Residency/Fellowship Program, General	CIP 61.0101	0
Family Medicine/Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine Combined Specialty Program	CIP 61.0105	0
Family Medicine/Preventive Medicine Combined Specialty Program	CIP 61.0106	0
Internal Medicine/Medical Genetics and Genomics Combined Specialty Program	CIP 61.0113	0
Internal Medicine/Preventive Medicine Combined Specialty Program	CIP 61.0116	0
Medical Genetics and Genomics/Maternal-Fetal Medicine Combined Specialty Program	CIP 61.0118	0
Pediatrics/Medical Genetics and Genomics Combined Specialty Program	CIP 61.0121	0
Pediatrics/Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Combined Specialty Program	CIP 61.0122	0
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility/Medical Genetics and Genomics Combined Specialty Program	CIP 61.0125	0
Combined Medical Residency/Fellowship Programs, Other	CIP 61.0199	0
Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0203	0
Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0205	0
Integrative Medicine Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0206	0
Medical Toxicology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0208	0
Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0209	0
Pain Medicine Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0210	0
Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0212	0
Sports Medicine Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0213	0
Telemedicine Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0215	0
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0216	0
Women's Health Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0218	0
Multiple-Pathway Medical Fellowship Programs, Other	CIP 61.0299	0

…and 38 more related programs.

See the 181 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically eight years or more of study, then an internship or residency, often one to three years. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do physicians, all other make?: The US median is $265,930 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 181 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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