Podiatrists
Diagnose and treat diseases and deformities of the human foot.
Podiatrists diagnose and treat diseases and deformities of the human foot. The role reports a median annual salary of $152,800 in the US and is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Doctoral or professional degree, and shows low AI exposure (0.26 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include dermatology, chiropody, human physiology, orthopaedic treatment alternatives, kinetics.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £42,079 a year for Other health professionals n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £34,346 to £49,077 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2259). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Podiatrists, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
- Biology
- Administration and Management
- Psychology
What you'd actually do
- Treat bone, muscle, and joint disorders affecting the feet and ankles.
- Diagnose diseases and deformities of the foot using medical histories, physical examinations, x-rays, and laboratory test results.
- Advise patients about treatments and foot care techniques necessary for prevention of future problems.
- Prescribe medications, corrective devices, physical therapy, or surgery.
- Surgically treat conditions such as corns, calluses, ingrown nails, tumors, shortened tendons, bunions, cysts, or abscesses.
- Refer patients to physicians when symptoms indicative of systemic disorders, such as arthritis or diabetes, are observed in feet and legs.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Podiatrists do?
Diagnose and treat diseases and deformities of the human foot.
How much does Podiatrists earn?
The median annual salary for Podiatrists in the US is $152,800.
What is the job outlook for Podiatrists?
The role is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 9,700 workers.
How do I become a podiatrists?
The typical entry education is a Doctoral or professional degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Podiatrists need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include dermatology, chiropody, human physiology, orthopaedic treatment alternatives, kinetics, pharmacology. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Podiatrists?
Our AI-durability model gives Podiatrists a score of 0.26 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Podiatrists has very high barrier to entry — very highly gated — extended graduate education, licensure, or years of specialised training are required.