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, pathologists make?

The US median is $312,400 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, pathologists: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Healthcare (clinical) · SOC 29-1222

$312,400US median pay, 2025

+4.8%Projected growth, 2025–35

300Openings 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, pathologists

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
Medical Toxicology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0208	0
Dermatopathology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.0502	0
Combined Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency Program	CIP 61.1801	0
Anatomic Pathology Residency Program	CIP 61.1802	0
Clinical Pathology Residency Program	CIP 61.1803	0
Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine Fellowship Program	CIP 61.1804	0
Chemical Pathology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.1805	0
Cytopathology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.1806	0
Forensic Pathology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.1807	0
Hematological Pathology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.1808	0
Immunopathology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.1809	0
Laboratory Medicine Fellowship Program	CIP 61.1810	0
Medical Microbiology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.1811	0
Molecular Genetic Pathology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.1812	0
Neuropathology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.1813	0
Pediatric Pathology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.1814	0
Radioisotopic Pathology Fellowship Program	CIP 61.1815	0
Pathology Residency/Fellowship Programs, Other	CIP 61.1899	0

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, pathologists make?: The US median is $312,400 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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