Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners

How to become an Allergist or Immunologist

Official title: Allergists and Immunologists

Also called: Adult and Pediatric Allergy Partner, Allergist, Allergy and Immunology Physician, Allergy and Immunology Specialist, Allergy Physician, Immunologist, Immunology Physician, MD (Medical Doctor), Pediatric Pulmonologist, Physician

Diagnose, treat, and help prevent allergic diseases and disease processes affecting the immune system.

Main tasks

Diagnose or treat allergic or immunologic conditions.
Educate patients about diagnoses, prognoses, or treatments.
Order or perform diagnostic tests such as skin pricks and intradermal, patch, or delayed hypersensitivity tests.
Prescribe medication such as antihistamines, antibiotics, and nasal, oral, topical, or inhaled glucocorticosteroids.
Interpret diagnostic test results to make appropriate differential diagnoses.
Document patients' medical histories.
Develop individualized treatment plans for patients, considering patient preferences, clinical data, or the risks and benefits of therapies.
Provide therapies, such as allergen immunotherapy or immunoglobin therapy, to treat immune conditions.

How to become one

Physicians and surgeons typically need a bachelor's degree as well as a medical degree, which takes an additional 4 years to complete. Depending on their specialty, they also need 3 to 9 years in internship and residency programs. Subspecialization includes additional training in a fellowship of 1 to 3 years.

Typical education to start: Doctoral or professional degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Medicine & Dentistry degrees, Offered by 23 universities in the US
Licence: A licence is required in 47 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $265,930 a year The middle half earn $102,930 to $378,770.
About 367,400 people work in this job now, and about 380,100 are projected by 2035. (+3.4%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become an Allergist or Immunologist?

How much does an Allergist or Immunologist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $265,930 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $102,930 to $378,770.

Is an Allergist or Immunologist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 367,400 to about 380,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Allergist or Immunologist?

Usually. 100% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Allergist or Immunologist?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.