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What is a chief medical officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

A chief medical officer oversees and coordinates the medical activities and functions of a healthcare organization. They ensure that healthcare services meet standards and remain safe, effective, and efficient. The chief medical officer works with executives to develop policies and strategies that align with the organization's goals. They also collaborate with healthcare providers to improve patient care, manage risk, and control costs. They possess strong leadership, communication, and analytical skills.

ScoreChief Medical OfficerUS Average
Salary
10.0

Avg. Salary $228,710

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.1

Growth Rate 28%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.72%

Asian 8.13%

Black or African American 11.34%

Hispanic or Latino 14.67%

Unknown 4.27%

White 60.86%

Gender

female 35.49%

male 64.51%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress Level
7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.8

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
4.9

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Chief Medical Officer?

Pros

  • Competitive salary and benefits

  • Ability to implement innovative solutions to healthcare challenges

  • Exposure to diverse areas of medicine and healthcare administration

  • Potential for career advancement within healthcare leadership

  • Opportunity for personal and professional development

Cons

  • Long hours and demanding workload

  • Risk of burnout due to high workload and responsibility

  • Limited time for direct patient care or clinical research

  • Risk of legal or ethical issues arising from decisions made

  • Potential for negative impact on work-life balance

Chief Medical Officer career paths

Key steps to become a chief medical officer

  1. Explore chief medical officer education requirements

    Most common chief medical officer degrees

    Bachelor's

    42.6 %

    Doctorate

    20.5 %

    Master's

    18.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific chief medical officer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients10.91%
    CMO7.43%
    Oversight6.57%
    Quality Improvement5.61%
    Health System4.79%
  3. Complete relevant chief medical officer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New chief medical officers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a chief medical officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real chief medical officer resumes.
  4. Gain additional chief medical officer certifications

    Chief medical officer certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific chief medical officer certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for chief medical officers include Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine.

    More About Certifications
  5. Research chief medical officer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage patients with general medical illnesses focusing particularly on prevention and family.
    • Lead efforts to support and continually improve the coordination and delivery of oncology services using evidence base guidelines.
    • Involve in the preoperative, operative, and postoperative (ICU and ward) care of the patients.
    • Collaborate with software developer to customize Ob-Gyn functionality with new EMR, and facilitate its implementation and adaption in all divisions.
  6. Get chief medical officer experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a chief medical officer. The most common roles before becoming a chief medical officer include medical director, physician team lead and medical officer.
  7. Prepare your chief medical officer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your chief medical officer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a chief medical officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Chief Medical Officer Resume templates

    Build a professional Chief Medical Officer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Chief Medical Officer resume.
    Chief Medical Officer Resume
    Chief Medical Officer Resume
    Chief Medical Officer Resume
    Chief Medical Officer Resume
    Chief Medical Officer Resume
    Chief Medical Officer Resume
    Chief Medical Officer Resume
    Chief Medical Officer Resume
    Chief Medical Officer Resume
  8. Apply for chief medical officer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a chief medical officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Chief Medical Officer Job

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Average chief medical officer salary

The average Chief Medical Officer salary in the United States is $228,710 per year or $110 per hour. Chief medical officer salaries range between $138,000 and $377,000 per year.

Average Chief Medical Officer Salary
$228,710 Yearly
$109.96 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do chief medical officers rate their job?

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Chief Medical Officer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

Dealing with people making directions good salary

Cons

I don’t like mostly sitting


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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