Vocational Index

Career

Obstetricians and gynecologists

Care for women's health, pregnancy and childbirth.

$292,910
Median pay
+1.7%
Job growth, 2025–35
500
Openings a year
Doctoral or professional degree
Typical education
7–8 years
Typical time after high school

Here's what you actually need to know.

The work

What people in this job do

  • Treat diseases of female organs.
  • Care for and treat women during prenatal, natal, and postnatal periods.
  • Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.
  • Perform cesarean sections or other surgical procedures as needed to preserve patients' health and deliver babies safely.
  • Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical histories, reports, or examination results.

The outlook

How the forecast changed this year

2024–34 edition+1.2%2025–35 edition+1.7%
Projected 10-year growth in last year's and this year's BLS projections. 600 → 500 openings a year.

The deeper question

What kind of person does this path ask you to become?

What this work centers on

Ideas & analysis
5.5
People & care
5.5
Objects & tools
4.6
Information & systems
3.7
Persuasion & leadership
2.7
Creation & expression
1.4

O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.

The work

Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then people & care?

Responsibility

Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?

“Treat diseases of female organs.”

Development

What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?

Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Active Learning.

Trade-offs

What does it ask of you in exchange?

7–8 years of education after high school (doctoral or professional degree), for a median of $292,910 a year and 500 openings nationally each year.

Paths in

Degrees that lead here

  • MedicineCIP 51.1201
  • Osteopathic Medicine/OsteopathyCIP 51.1202
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency ProgramCIP 61.1301
  • Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship ProgramCIP 61.1302
  • Maternal and Fetal Medicine Fellowship ProgramCIP 61.1303
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency/Fellowship Programs, OtherCIP 61.1399

Paths across

Careers that use similar skills

Ask anything about this career.

“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.

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Sources

  1. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  2. BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  3. O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  4. CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.