Diagnose disease by examining tissue, cells, blood, and laboratory findings and advise other physicians on results.
You may also see this posted as: Anatomic Pathologist, Dermatopathologist, Forensic Pathologist, Cytopathologist, Hematopathologist, Neuropathologist.
Hospitals, medical laboratories, universities, and offices.
Usually full-time; hospital roles may include call.
Investigative
solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work
Realistic
working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
O*NET job zone 5 of 5
Extensive preparation—often graduate education and significant experience—is common.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
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 4.5% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Doctoral / professional degree
Training path: Medical school followed by paid pathology residency.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: Internship/residency.
Requires a medical license after medical school, residency, and board certification.
You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
Diagnoses disease by examining tissue, blood, and laboratory results, often working behind the scenes in hospitals and labs.
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Standard Occupational Classification 29-1222. 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.