Pathologist salary, United States

Healthcare Headhunters recruits healthcare professionals for employers. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.

This is what we do all day: recruit healthcare professionals.

The median annual wage for Physicians, Pathologists (the closest BLS occupation to Pathologist) in the United States was $312,400 in BLS OEWS May 2025, and the middle half of workers earned between $186,300 and $372,780.

What does the published band tell you about a Pathologist offer?

The published annual P25 to P75 band for Pathologist in the United States is

86,300 to $372,780. That Pathologist band spans
86,480 in the United States; it is a spread of reported wages, not a suggested offer. For this Pathologist opening, compare regular pay with the duties you need covered in the United States. Neither end of the Pathologist band labels a worker's experience or promises what a candidate will accept.

How does Pathologist pay in the United States compare with the nation?

BLS reports $312,400 as the annual median for SOC 29-1222, Physicians, Pathologists, in the United States. Pathologist in the United States has a annual median $0 away from the national median of $312,400. Pathologist may cover different duties within that published occupation. We ask what this Pathologist must handle before you use the the United States median in an offer.

What does New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ add to this Pathologist comparison?

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports $327,770 for Physicians, Pathologists in BLS OEWS May 2025. The Pathologist median gap between the United States and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is

5,370 on this annual basis. A Pathologist candidate moving between these markets still has to weigh the work and schedule. For Pathologist in the United States, this the United States comparison does not measure living costs, commuting distance or relocation expense.

What does Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX add to this Pathologist comparison?

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX reports $316,150 for Physicians, Pathologists in BLS OEWS May 2025. The Pathologist median gap between the United States and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX is $3,750 on this annual basis. A Pathologist candidate moving between these markets still has to weigh the work and schedule. For Pathologist in the United States, this the United States comparison does not measure living costs, commuting distance or relocation expense.

Which published industries help you read Pathologist pay?

For Pathologist, Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories, NAICS 621500, reports a national median of $329,560. For Pathologist, Offices of Physicians, NAICS 621100, reports a national median of $312,140. These Physicians, Pathologists estimates are national, not industry pay rates for the United States. Top-coded industry medians are not placed in this numeric Pathologist ranking. Use the Pathologist setting and duties to decide whether that industry comparison belongs in your brief.

What changed between releases for Pathologist in the United States?

A comparable exact prior annual median for Pathologist in the United States is not available alongside the current value. The current Pathologist entry is $312,400 in BLS OEWS May 2025. For Pathologist in the United States, we do not replace a missing the United States observation with another release. A capped Pathologist median is a floor, so it cannot support an exact change calculation.

What belongs beside base pay in your Pathologist offer?

Pathologist wages in the United States include base rates and guaranteed or production pay under the BLS definition. For Pathologist, production incentives already counted in OEWS should not be added again. For this Pathologist brief, overtime, shift differentials and on-call pay sit outside the OEWS wage. A non-production sign-on payment for Pathologist is also outside that the United States figure. We discuss those Pathologist terms without inventing an amount to add.

What else should you ask about this pay table?

Pathologist maps to SOC 29-1222, Physicians, Pathologists. The the United States annual median is $312,400. For Pathologist in the United States, this is a broader occupation, not a separate survey of this exact title.

Does the United States publish a separate wage for Pathologist?

Pathologist maps to SOC 29-1222, Physicians, Pathologists. The the United States annual median is $312,400. For Pathologist in the United States, this is a broader occupation, not a separate survey of this exact title.

Where should you place a Pathologist offer inside the the United States band?

The published annual P25 to P75 band for Pathologist in the United States is

86,300 to $372,780. That Pathologist band spans
86,480 in the United States; it is a spread of reported wages, not a suggested offer. For Pathologist in the United States, we do not assign a percentile between the published points or call a point an experience level.

Can the Pathologist figure in the United States stand in for the whole package?

Pathologist pay in this the United States table is not total compensation. For Pathologist in the United States, shift differential, on-call pay and non-production sign-on payments are excluded by the OEWS definition. For Pathologist in the United States, write those terms separately before comparing offers.

Which markets can you compare with the United States for Pathologist?

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX have published rows for Physicians, Pathologists. For Pathologist in the United States, they are employment-based comparison markets, not a claim about nearest locations. Each linked Pathologist table names its own area and SOC.

Is the Pathologist change in the United States a forecast?

A comparable exact prior annual median for Pathologist in the United States is not available alongside the current value. The current Pathologist entry is $312,400 in BLS OEWS May 2025. For Pathologist in the United States, we do not replace a missing the United States observation with another release. A capped Pathologist median is a floor, so it cannot support an exact change calculation.

The Pathologist national comparison markets use published employment, not geographic proximity. Read the geography and wage definitions.

Broader occupation · SOC 29-1222

BLS occupation: Physicians, Pathologists.

BLS reports Physicians, Pathologists as one occupation. It does not publish a separate estimate for Pathologist, its setting or its engagement terms.

What does this occupation pay nationally?

BLS publishes five national pay points for Physicians, Pathologists, SOC 29-1222, in BLS OEWS May 2025: the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles. The range bar and table below show each published point. Percentiles describe the spread of pay across workers, not experience levels. Read the median as a midpoint, not an offer for your vacancy.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · OEWS May 2025Physicians, Pathologists, United States
Pay range for Physicians, Pathologists, United StatesMedian $312,400$78,659$485,968
  • P10 to P90 published range
  • P25 to P75 middle range
  • P50 median
Each mark uses wages published by BLS for this occupation and area. See the percentile table below for exact values.
Physicians, Pathologists, United States, BLS OEWS May 2025. 10% of workers in this occupation earned less than the 10th percentile value.
PointAnnual wage
10th percentile$92,540
25th percentile$186,300
Median$312,400
75th percentile$372,780
90th percentile$449,970
Mean (average)$285,420

For Physicians, Pathologists in the United States, BLS reports a median of $312,400; the middle half of workers earned between $186,300 and $372,780 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · OEWS May 2025Physicians, Pathologists, United States
Pay range for Physicians, Pathologists, United StatesMedian $150.19$37.82$233.64
  • P10 to P90 published range
  • P25 to P75 middle range
  • P50 median
Each mark uses wages published by BLS for this occupation and area. See the percentile table below for exact values.
Physicians, Pathologists, United States, BLS OEWS May 2025. 10% of workers in this occupation earned less than the 10th percentile value.
PointHourly wage
10th percentile$44.49
25th percentile$89.57
Median$150.19
75th percentile$179.22
90th percentile$216.33
Mean (average)$137.22

For Physicians, Pathologists in the United States, BLS reports a median of $150.19; the middle half of workers earned between $89.57 and $179.22 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

What BLS wages include and exclude

Included

  • Base rates
  • Commissions
  • Cost-of-living allowances
  • Deadheading pay
  • Guaranteed pay
  • Hazard pay
  • Incentive pay
  • Longevity pay
  • Over-the-road pay (Mileage)
  • Piece rates
  • Portal-to-portal rates
  • Production bonuses
  • Tips

Excluded

  • Attendance bonuses
  • Back pay
  • Clothing allowances
  • Discount
  • Draw
  • Holiday bonus
  • Holiday premium pay
  • Jury duty pay
  • Meal and lodging payments
  • Merchandise discounts
  • Non-production bonuses
  • On-call pay
  • Overtime pay
  • Perquisites
  • Profit-sharing payments
  • Relocation allowances
  • Severance pay
  • Shift differentials
  • Stock bonuses
  • Tool/equipment allowances
  • Tuition repayment
  • Uniform allowance
  • Weekend premium pay
  • Year-end bonuses

Employment: 11,110 jobs nationally.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, BLS OEWS May 2025. SOC 29-1222 Physicians, Pathologists, United States. BLS page for this occupation. CSV

How has published pay changed since the last BLS release?

These are separate BLS estimates, not a wage growth forecast. Survey coverage and area boundaries can change. The table places the published median for Physicians, Pathologists in United States from BLS OEWS May 2024 next to BLS OEWS May 2025. A top-coded value is a floor, not an exact median.

Physicians, Pathologists, SOC 29-1222, United States. Published medians from both reference periods.
Pay basisBLS OEWS May 2024BLS OEWS May 2025
annual$239,200 or more$312,400
hourly$115.00 or more$150.19

Prior release: 2024-05, published 2025-04-02. Current release: 2025-05, published 2026-05-15. A top-coded value is a floor, not an exact median.

What does this pay include, and what does it leave out?

OEWS counts base rates, guaranteed pay and production incentives. It describes pay reported for employees, not an offer for this vacancy. Benefits and self-employed earnings are outside these wage estimates. For physicians and other providers, production bonuses and commissions belong in BLS wages.

Do not add them twice. Partnership distributions and contractor receipts are not a separate rate published by OEWS.

Overtime, shift differentials and on-call pay are excluded. If this job has a call rota or extra shifts, spell out those payments rather than treating the BLS median as the whole package.

Meal and lodging payments and relocation allowances are excluded. A travel per diem for those costs is not part of this wage. Keep it separate from the pay comparison.

Non-production bonuses are excluded. A sign-on or retention payment that is not tied to production should be discussed separately. BLS does not publish an amount to add for that payment.

BLS pay definitions. These notes do not add an estimated bonus or premium.

Which metro areas publish pay for this occupation?

This table lists every metro area where BLS published a median for Physicians, Pathologists in BLS OEWS May 2025. Each row shows the median, the middle half of pay from the 25th to the 75th percentile, employment and the location quotient. Metros without a published median are left out rather than estimated. Select a metro for its own pay page.

Median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile), annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025. Only metros where BLS published a median are listed.
Metro areaMedian25th to 75thEmploymentLocation quotient
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$239,200 or more$239,200 or more to $239,200 or more2802.04
Raleigh-Cary, NC$239,200 or more$239,200 or more to $239,200 or moreNot published by BLSNot published by BLS
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$239,200 or more$239,200 or more to $239,200 or more1001.14
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$365,830$123,690 to $367,540900.42
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$362,470$291,660 to $424,3301000.99
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$349,470$226,210 to $372,8502201.31
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$342,090$325,730 to $342,7002603.26
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$336,660$264,170 to $381,850Not published by BLSNot published by BLS
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$333,330$305,220 to $388,510900.79
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$332,570$293,900 to $477,310900.46
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$327,770$178,540 to $424,3501,1401.68
Northern New Jersey market: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. Shared metro, not New Jersey-only.$327,770$178,540 to $424,3501,1401.68
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$319,340$204,430 to $387,7603300.74
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$317,890$106,720 to $341,4201902.40
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$316,150$222,470 to $357,4404801.65
Oklahoma City, OK$315,520$301,270 to $409,280601.26
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$305,600$266,610 to $362,690400.98
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$300,580$162,760 to $323,6201400.96
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$291,510$78,630 to $357,7202300.98
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$288,900$229,070 to $370,910400.39
Columbus, OH$285,280$227,370 to $339,890700.88
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$285,240$236,560 to $330,8202401.23
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX$283,430$230,170 to $347,1201001.27
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$272,300$250,040 to $355,830301.24
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$237,190$203,150 to $313,210900.38
Kansas City, MO-KS$224,280$127,770 to $371,230700.86
Omaha, NE-IA$214,920$97,300 to $425,810802.33
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$140,230$75,760 to $320,440300.99

How do you find pay for a state or nonmetro area?

Choose a state, metro or nonmetropolitan area below to open the published figures for Physicians, Pathologists. If BLS did not publish a median, the guide shows the state or national estimate with a clear fallback label. It does not create a salary page for that missing combination. Every area page names its source row.

Does this pay differ by healthcare industry?

National industry estimates for Physicians, Pathologists, SOC 29-1222. Industry names are the names published by BLS. These are not local industry wages. Each row uses the pay basis BLS published for that industry, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with employment. Cells BLS did not publish stay blank rather than estimated. Compare rows only within the same pay basis.

BLS OEWS May 2025. Each row uses its published pay basis. Non-published cells stay blank of estimates.
Industry / NAICSBasisP10P25MedianP75P90Employment
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
annual$134,770$186,300$312,140$369,720$412,1603,940
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
annual$239,200 or more$239,200 or more$239,200 or more$239,200 or more$239,200 or more40
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories
NAICS 621500
annual$196,360$269,860$329,560$383,380$449,3403,140
Hospitals
NAICS 622000
annual$75,760$99,750$305,600$450,920$486,9902,200

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, BLS OEWS May 2025. National industry-specific estimates. A value marked “or more” is top-coded.

Where is published pay highest and lowest for this occupation?

Highest and lowest published numeric medians for Physicians, Pathologists, SOC 29-1222. Top-coded medians cannot be ranked exactly and are not placed in this list. The table shows up to ten metros at each end, with employment and location quotient. Location quotient describes employment concentration, not pay. A metro missing here may still publish a capped value.

BLS OEWS May 2025, annual medians. Location quotient describes employment concentration, not pay.
MetroMedianEmploymentLocation quotient
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV$384,550300.37
Corpus Christi, TX$373,420Not published by BLSNot published by BLS
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$365,830900.42
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$362,620Not published by BLSNot published by BLS
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$362,4701000.99
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$349,4702201.31
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$342,0902603.26
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$336,660Not published by BLSNot published by BLS
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$333,330900.79
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$332,570900.46
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$248,420300.40
Richmond, VA$240,220Not published by BLSNot published by BLS
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$237,190900.38
Kansas City, MO-KS$224,280700.86
Omaha, NE-IA$214,920802.33
St. Louis, MO-IL$207,450Not published by BLSNot published by BLS
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$186,300Not published by BLSNot published by BLS
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$143,120Not published by BLSNot published by BLS
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$140,230300.99
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$70,480300.81

How does this pay compare with all wages in each metro?

We divide this occupation's median by the all-occupations median for the same area and pay basis. This is simple arithmetic on BLS rows. It is not a cost-of-living adjustment or a percentile. Location quotient is shown separately. A ratio above one means this occupation's median is higher than the area's all-occupations median.

BLS OEWS May 2025. Only exact published medians can be compared. All-occupations SOC 00-0000.
MetroOccupation medianAll-occupations medianMedian ratioLocation quotient
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV$384,550$46,6708.24 times0.37
Corpus Christi, TX$373,420$45,3508.23 timesNot published by BLS
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$362,470$48,9407.41 times0.99
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$342,090$49,3406.93 times3.26
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$332,570$48,6406.84 times0.46
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$329,970$48,3706.82 timesNot published by BLS
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$349,470$51,3806.80 times1.31
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$365,830$54,3106.74 times0.42
Oklahoma City, OK$315,520$47,2306.68 times1.26
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$362,620$56,9506.37 timesNot published by BLS

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, BLS OEWS May 2025. SOC 29-1222 Physicians, Pathologists, metropolitan areas listed above. BLS page for this occupation. CSV

What do we see when recruiting for this role?

Read the Pathologist brief alongside the occupation mapping. Required credentials, current duties and the work setting can differ within Physicians, Pathologists. A BLS wage is a description of surveyed workers, not an offer recommendation. Compare the actual responsibilities and the candidate's preferences before changing the brief. This is a qualitative view from our search work, not BLS data.

What is the median pay for Physicians, Pathologists?

$312,400 nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025). 50% of workers in this occupation earned less than this and 50% earned more. The median covers every setting BLS surveyed, so it is a midpoint of reported pay, not an offer benchmark for your vacancy. Read the mapping note and the percentile range before you set pay.

How much do the best-paid workers earn?

10% of workers in this occupation earned more than $449,970, and 10% earned less than $92,540.

Is this the pay for Pathologist exactly?

No. BLS reports Physicians, Pathologists as one occupation. It does not publish a separate estimate for Pathologist, its setting or its engagement terms. Treat these figures as the closest published evidence, not an exact-title benchmark.

What is the hourly equivalent?

The BLS median hourly wage is $150.19. BLS converts hourly to annual with 2,080 hours a year, so the annual median is $312,400.

Where is the median highest?

Among the metro areas listed on this page, Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV has the highest published median at $384,550.

How many people work in this occupation?

BLS estimates 11,110 jobs nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).