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Podiatrists: Job Description

Diagnose and treat diseases and deformities of the human foot.

What Tasks Do Podiatrists Perform?

Typical responsibilities of podiatrists cover:

• 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.
• Make and fit prosthetic appliances.
• Correct deformities by means of plaster casts and strapping.

Skills and Knowledge

Successful podiatrists rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Top Skills

The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Top Knowledge Areas

Types of Podiatrists Jobs

This career also goes by job titles like:

• Attending Physician
• Chiropodist
• Doctor Podiatric Medicine (DPM)
• Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM)
• Doctor of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery (DPM and Surgery)
• Doctor of Podiatry
• Foot Doctor
• Foot Orthopedist

Job Outlook

The U.S. employs around 2,849,753 podiatrists working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +11.4% over the projection horizon.

Salary for Podiatrists

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$141,542
Hourly median	$68.05
10th percentile	$81,432
25th percentile	$111,487
75th percentile	$171,597
90th percentile	$201,653

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

How Much Do Podiatrists Make in Different U.S. States?

State	Annual median salary
South Dakota	$234,480
Washington	$228,170
New Mexico	$227,130
Minnesota	$224,280
North Carolina	$221,370
Nevada	$216,900
Tennessee	$213,180
New Hampshire	$211,000
Connecticut	$208,310
Kentucky	$198,990
Maryland	$194,670
California	$193,510
Delaware	$187,180
Colorado	$174,660
Wisconsin	$170,090
Kansas	$169,060
Louisiana	$167,000
Maine	$161,800
South Carolina	$161,250
Texas	$160,310
Florida	$155,970
Rhode Island	$154,070
Arizona	$149,990
Pennsylvania	$147,690
Utah	$146,330
Georgia	$145,580
Alabama	$140,580
Virginia	$139,770
New Jersey	$138,220
Indiana	$133,320
West Virginia	$128,760
Missouri	$128,680
Michigan	$128,500
Massachusetts	$128,160
Iowa	$126,790
Ohio	$119,570
New York	$117,220
Arkansas	$113,580
Idaho	$101,570

Pay by U.S. Region

Pay for podiatrists shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:

Region	Median annual wage	Share of U.S. jobs	Location quotient
Far Western US	$178,835	16.0%	0.87
Southeast	$164,675	24.1%	1.03
New England	$161,652	4.9%	1.11
Rocky Mountains	$154,388	3.3%	0.80
Plains States	$153,201	6.2%	0.84
Southwest	$152,561	10.4%	0.79
Great Lakes	$134,434	10.2%	1.18
Middle Atlantic	$129,347	24.9%	1.75

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Podiatrists

Metro area	State	Median annual wage	Employment
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	CA	$230,530	90
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	TX	$225,670	110
Albuquerque, NM	NM	$221,980	40
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	NV	$220,000	30
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	MD	$218,390	130
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	TN	$215,020	30
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	TX	$213,840	70
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	CA	$211,750	100

Industry Breakdown

The bulk of podiatrists are found across these industries:

Industry	Employment	Median annual wage
Health Care and Social Assistance	8,530	$141,790

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Tools and Technology

• Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
• Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)

Work Environment

The on-the-job environment of podiatrists is shaped by the following characteristics:

• Freedom to Make Decisions
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
• Contact With Others
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate

Getting Started in This Career

This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Related Careers

Similar Occupations

• Chiropractors (Supplemental)
• Dentists, General (Supplemental)
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (Primary-Long)
• Orthodontists (Supplemental)
• Optometrists (Supplemental)
• Anesthesiologists (Supplemental)
• Cardiologists (Primary-Long)
• Dermatologists (Primary-Short)

Degree Programs

Students preparing for podiatrists commonly pursue programs in:

2 programs across 1 majors

• Podiatric Medicine Residency/Fellowship Programs

Health Professions and Related Programs

1 programs across 1 majors

• Medicine

References

This profile draws on 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: 29-1081.00 (Podiatrists).