Family practice physician vs attending physician

The differences between family practice physicians and attending physicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a family practice physician and an attending physician. Additionally, a family practice physician has an average salary of $205,717, which is higher than the $200,702 average annual salary of an attending physician.

The top three skills for a family practice physician include patients, family practice and primary care. The most important skills for an attending physician are patients, primary care, and surgery.

Family practice physician vs attending physician overview

	Family Practice Physician	Attending Physician
Yearly salary	$205,717	$200,702
Hourly rate	$98.90	$96.49
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	55,016	53,195
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

What does a family practice physician do?

Family practice physicians provide comprehensive medical care services to each family member. These services may include disease diagnosis and treatment, family planning, and immunizations. They typically have undergone specialty training on the various primary care disciplines, including preventive care, pediatric medicine, and OB care. They are responsible for diagnosing and treating illnesses and medical conditions, providing routine health screenings, and advising patients on lifestyle changes to prevent diseases. Family practice physicians supervise physician assistants, medical assistants, and nurses and coordinate with occupational and rehabilitation therapists on a patient's behalf.

What does an attending physician do?

An Attending Physician typically supervises fellows, residents, medical students, and other practitioners. They are responsible for supervising each patient every day, reviewing treatment plans with residents, and supervising patient management documents.

Family practice physician vs attending physician salary

Family practice physicians and attending physicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Family Practice Physician	Attending Physician
Average salary	$205,717	$200,702
Salary range	Between $136,000 And $310,000	Between $125,000 And $321,000
Highest paying City	Fargo, ND	Miami, FL
Highest paying state	North Dakota	New Jersey
Best paying company	Central Ohio Primary Care	Community Health Systems
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between family practice physician and attending physician education

There are a few differences between a family practice physician and an attending physician in terms of educational background:

	Family Practice Physician	Attending Physician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Family practice physician vs attending physician demographics

Here are the differences between family practice physicians' and attending physicians' demographics:

	Family Practice Physician	Attending Physician
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 36.5% Female, 63.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between family practice physician and attending physician duties and responsibilities

Family practice physician example responsibilities.

Manage conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, asthma, and GERD.
Provide and perform x-rays and EKG upon doctor's request.
Perform EHR practice assessments and work and documentation flow analysis and redesign.
Review EHR on an as needed basis per missing information or documentation.
Review and help select EMR and transition providers and clinics to the new system.
Float to various departments such as the emergency room, ICU, and geriatric psych.

Attending physician example responsibilities.

Manage neurological cancer research protocols: collected/organize data, assure compliance with protocol guidelines, manage study database and enroll patients.
Prepare patients for ultrasound guide injections and aspirations which includes draping patients, prepping medications and preparing sterile instruments.
Manage neurological cancer research protocols: collected/organize data, assure compliance with protocol guidelines, manage study database and enroll patients.
Monitor and manage patient medical records in compliance with HIPPA.

Family practice physician vs attending physician skills

Common family practice physician skills

Patients, 22%
Family Practice, 19%
Primary Care, 14%
Urgent Care, 11%
EMR, 8%
Internal Medicine, 4%

Common attending physician skills

Patients, 35%
Primary Care, 8%
Surgery, 5%
Internal Medicine, 5%
BLS, 4%
Rehabilitation, 3%

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Family Practice Physician
Family Practice Physician vs Attending Physician

Updated January 8, 2025

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