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The differences between general practitioners and family 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 general practitioner and a family physician. Additionally, a family physician has an average salary of $215,471, which is higher than the $172,831 average annual salary of a general practitioner.
The top three skills for a general practitioner include patients, diagnosis and internal medicine. The most important skills for a family physician are patients, family medicine, and primary care.
| General Practitioner | Family Physician | |
| Yearly salary | $172,831 | $215,471 |
| Hourly rate | $83.09 | $103.59 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 64,698 | 47,352 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Doctoral Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A General Practitioner provides primary and continuing medical care for patients within their community. They are responsible for diagnosing patients, checking patients results, and providing treatment as required.
A family physician specializes in providing health care services to an entire family, regardless of age, health condition, or gender. Aside from conducting regular check-ups and consultations, they serve as a family's primary contact when health problems occur. Among their responsibilities include maintaining a family's health records, helping families navigate through the healthcare system, coordinating with insurance companies, and referring them to other specialists when necessary. Moreover, a family physician builds positive relationships with clients, helping them feel comfortable every step of the way.
General practitioners and family physicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Practitioner | Family Physician | |
| Average salary | $172,831 | $215,471 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $347,000 | Between $135,000 And $342,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oklahoma City, OK | Mount Vernon, WA |
| Highest paying state | Mississippi | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Altru Health System | Oregon Medical Group |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a general practitioner and a family physician in terms of educational background:
| General Practitioner | Family Physician | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 50% | Doctoral Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Medicine | Medicine |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Virginia |
Here are the differences between general practitioners' and family physicians' demographics:
| General Practitioner | Family Physician | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.9% Female, 39.1% | Male, 42.2% Female, 57.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |