Pediatricians, general
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment, as needed.
Pediatricians, general diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment, as needed. The role reports a median annual salary of $210,130 in the US. Entry typically requires a Doctoral or professional degree, and shows low AI exposure (0.29 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £55,494 a year for Generalist medical practitioners (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £43,727 to £68,946 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2211). 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 Pediatricians, general, 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
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Entrance exam NEET-UG for admission to MBBS[1][2]
- 2 · Qualification MBBS degree from an NMC-listed medical college[3]
- 3 · Registration Registration as a medical practitioner on the National Medical Register / with a State Medical Council[3][4]
- 4 · Qualification NEET-PG for a postgraduate seat, then MD in Paediatrics[5][6]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- NEET (UG) — National Testing Agency (read on 2026-09-27)
- MCC UG Medical Counselling — Medical Counselling Committee, MoHFW (read on 2026-09-27)
- National Medical Commission — home (read on 2026-09-27)
- NMC — Ethics & Medical Registration Board (read on 2026-09-27)
- MCC PG Medical Counselling — Medical Counselling Committee, MoHFW (read on 2026-09-27)
- NMC — PG Curriculum (competency-based PG programmes) (read on 2026-09-27)
Entrance exams on this route — Dates, eligibility and cut-offs for the exams on the way to this career:
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Therapy and Counseling
- Biology
- Psychology
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Education and Training
A day in the life
You start the morning in the outpatient clinic, where the first family brings a baby for a routine check: you weigh and measure her, check her development and give her vaccinations. Next is a toddler with a cough and fever, and you examine him gently, reassure the worried parents and explain how to care for him at home. Mid-morning you see a child with asthma, adjust his inhaler plan and explain warning signs. After lunch you do ward rounds in the children's unit, reviewing test results, adjusting treatments and discussing progress with nurses. Later you meet a teenager and her mother about poor sleep and diet, offering practical advice. You also record every visit carefully in the notes. Anxious parents, crying children and long days test your patience. But watching a sick child recover, laugh and run out of the clinic makes the work deeply rewarding.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Pediatricians, general do?
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment, as needed.
What does a typical day look like in Pediatricians, general?
You start the morning in the outpatient clinic, where the first family brings a baby for a routine check: you weigh and measure her, check her development and give her vaccinations. Next is a toddler with a cough and fever, and you examine him gently, reassure the worried parents and explain how to care for him at home. Mid-morning you see a child with asthma, adjust his inhaler plan and explain warning signs.
How much does Pediatricians, general earn?
The median annual salary for Pediatricians, general in the US is $210,130.
How do I become pediatricians, general?
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 Pediatricians, general need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Active Learning. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Pediatricians, general?
Our AI-durability model gives Pediatricians, general a score of 0.29 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?
Pediatricians, general has very high barrier to entry — very highly gated — extended graduate education, licensure, or years of specialised training are required.