Careers · Explore one path
Pediatricians, General
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment, as needed.
Other titles employers use
Developmental Pediatrician · Emergency Room Pediatrician (ER Pediatrician) · General Pediatrician · Group Practice Pediatrician · Medical Doctor (MD) · Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician · Pediatric Physician · Physician
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury in infants and children.
- Examine children regularly to assess their growth and development.
- Treat children who have minor illnesses, acute and chronic health problems, and growth and development concerns.
- Examine patients or order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests to obtain information on medical condition and determine diagnosis.
- Advise patients, parents or guardians, and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
- Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients and parents or guardians.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, analytical and practical work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
Subjects to know
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Therapy and Counseling
- Biology
- Psychology
- Customer and Personal Service
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Inductive Reasoning
- Written Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.5 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.7 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.6 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.6 | Some of the day |
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Medical software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Electronic mail software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Internet browser software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 6,030
- Job openings each year
- 130
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 26.7%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 6,030 | 130 | 26.7% |
| California | 4,900 | 170 | 8.9% |
| Ohio | 1,820 | 40 | −4.2% |
| New Jersey | 1,490 | 50 | 4.2% |
| Florida | 1,350 | 50 | 7.1% |
| Arizona | 1,340 | 50 | 18.6% |
| Illinois | 1,330 | 30 | −2.2% |
| North Carolina | 1,210 | 40 | 7.1% |
| Michigan | 1,160 | 30 | — |
| Pennsylvania | 1,090 | 30 | — |
| Georgia | 970 | 30 | 9.0% |
| Washington | 880 | 40 | 12.8% |
| Minnesota | 820 | 20 | 1.2% |
| Virginia | 820 | 30 | 7.9% |
| Maryland | 810 | 20 | 2.5% |
| Oregon | 750 | 20 | 7.1% |
| Tennessee | 750 | 30 | 8.7% |
| Wisconsin | 700 | 20 | 7.7% |
| Indiana | 690 | 20 | — |
| Colorado | 530 | 20 | 8.2% |
| Louisiana | 450 | 10 | −2.2% |
| Connecticut | 430 | 10 | −2.3% |
| Kentucky | 410 | 10 | — |
| Massachusetts | 340 | 10 | 3.0% |
| Rhode Island | 340 | 10 | 3.0% |
| Iowa | 300 | 10 | 7.1% |
| Utah | 250 | 10 | 25.0% |
| New Mexico | 230 | 10 | 15.0% |
| Puerto Rico | 210 | 10 | 5.0% |
| South Carolina | 190 | 10 | 11.8% |
| Delaware | 180 | 10 | 5.9% |
| Missouri | 170 | 0 | — |
| Nebraska | 170 | 10 | 6.3% |
| Vermont | 170 | 0 | −5.6% |
| New Hampshire | 160 | 0 | 6.7% |
| Maine | 150 | 0 | −6.3% |
| West Virginia | 130 | 0 | −7.1% |
| Arkansas | 120 | 0 | 9.1% |
| Idaho | 120 | 0 | 20.0% |
| Montana | 120 | 0 | 9.1% |
| Kansas | 100 | 0 | — |
| Mississippi | 100 | 0 | — |
| Oklahoma | 90 | 0 | — |
| Wyoming | 80 | 0 | 14.3% |
| Alaska | 70 | 0 | 16.7% |
| South Dakota | 40 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.