Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners

How to become a Physician or Pathologist

Official title: Physicians, Pathologists

Also called: Anatomic Pathologist, Cytopathologist, Dermatopathologist, Forensic Pathologist, Hematopathologist, Neuropathologist, Oral Pathologist, Pathologist, Surgical Pathologist

Diagnose diseases and conduct lab tests using organs, body tissues, and fluids. Includes medical examiners.

Main tasks

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.
Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in pathology.
Consult with physicians about ordering and interpreting tests or providing treatments.
Analyze and interpret results from tests, such as microbial or parasite tests, urine analyses, hormonal assays, fine needle aspirations (FNAs), and polymerase chain reactions (PCRs).

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 48 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $312,400 a year The middle half earn $186,300 to $372,780.
About 11,800 people work in this job now, and about 12,400 are projected by 2035. (+4.8%)
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 a Physician or Pathologist?

How much does a Physician or Pathologist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $312,400 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $186,300 to $372,780.

Is a Physician or Pathologist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 11,800 to about 12,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Physician or Pathologist?

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

Will AI change the work of a Physician or Pathologist?

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.