All careersHealthcare

OB-GYN

$292,910
median / year
$94,680 – $437,300
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Care for women through pregnancy and childbirth and treat reproductive-health conditions.

You may also see this posted as: MD (Medical Doctor), OBGYN (Obstetrician and Gynecologist), OBGYN Physician (Obstetrics and Gynecology Physician), Physician, GYN (Gynecologist), OB (Obstetrician).

Where you work

Hospitals, clinics, and private practices

The hours

Long hours, frequent on-call

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • 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.

Good fit if you like…

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

O*NET job zone 5 of 5

Extensive preparation—often graduate education and significant experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailDependabilityIntegrityCautiousness

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Epic SystemseClinicalWorks EHR softwareMEDITECH softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareAcrendo Medical Software Ob/Gyn EMR

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$292,910
per year
Hourly median
$140.82
per hour
What most earn
$94,680–$437,300
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~600
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+1.2%
Little change
Working in the U.S.
21,260
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 4.7% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Doctoral / professional degree

Training path: Medical school + residency.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: Internship/residency.

License or certification

Requires a medical degree, a residency, and a state medical license.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Obstetric careSurgeryPatient careStamina

The honest take

Delivers babies and cares for women's health, among the very highest-paid physicians, with pay above $239,000.

Standard Occupational Classification 29-1218. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.