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Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Career Overview

Provide medical care related to pregnancy or childbirth. Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases of women, particularly those affecting the reproductive system. May also provide general care to women. May perform both medical and gynecological surgery functions.

What Tasks Do Obstetricians and Gynecologists Perform?

The core tasks performed by obstetricians and gynecologists span:

  • 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.
  • Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
  • Prescribe or administer therapy, medication, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
  • Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Effective obstetricians and gynecologists draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Most Important Skills

These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Critical Thinking  4.4 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  4.2 / 5
0
5
Active Learning  4.1 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  4.1 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  4.0 / 5
0
5
Complex Problem Solving  4.0 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Medicine and Dentistry  5.0 / 5
0
5
Biology  4.7 / 5
0
5
English Language  4.4 / 5
0
5
Psychology  4.2 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  3.9 / 5
0
5
Therapy and Counseling  3.8 / 5
0
5

This career also goes by job titles like:

  • Doctor
  • GYN (Gynecologist)
  • GYN Physician (Gynecology Physician)
  • Gynecologic Oncologist
  • Gynecological Oncologist
  • Hospitalist
  • MD (Medical Doctor)
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine Physician (MFM Physician)

Employment and Demand

There are about 2,583,792 obstetricians and gynecologists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +11.0% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Obstetricians and Gynecologists Pay

Statistic Value
Annual median $157,243
Hourly median $75.60
10th percentile $96,157
25th percentile $126,700
75th percentile $187,786
90th percentile $218,329

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Pay by State

State Annual median salary
District of Columbia $236,610
Alabama $204,570
Indiana $200,300
Connecticut $195,860
Michigan $193,500
Oklahoma $156,030
Puerto Rico $145,620

Top-Paying U.S. Regions

Pay for obstetricians and gynecologists vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Other U.S. Territories $145,620 0.5% 0.60
Great Lakes $108,849 14.2% 1.12
New England $42,348 7.2% 1.25
Southeast $9,741 10.8% 0.73
Middle Atlantic $4,680 29.3% 2.03

Top Metro Areas

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA CA $235,930
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN OH $209,230 280
Rochester, NY NY $202,240 180
Asheville, NC NC $187,480 50
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT CT $184,150 120
Madison, WI WI $177,980 80
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR PR $147,470 40
Flint, MI MI $72,230 50

Top Industries Employing Obstetricians and Gynecologists

The bulk of obstetricians and gynecologists are found across these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Health Care and Social Assistance 19,180 n/a
Educational Services 490 $74,810
Obstetricians and Gynecologists sectors

Below are examples of industries where obstetricians and gynecologists work:

Obstetricians and Gynecologists industries

Tech Stack

  • Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
  • Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
  • Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)

The Day-to-Day Environment

The work environment for obstetricians and gynecologists reflects the following characteristics:

  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  • Contact With Others
  • Telephone Conversations
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

Getting Started in This Career

This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

Where to Study

Aspiring obstetricians and gynecologists typically earn programs in:

4 programs across 1 majors

2 programs across 1 majors

References

Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 29-1218.00 (Obstetricians and Gynecologists).

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