General practitioner vs family practice physician

The differences between general practitioners and family practice 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 practice physician. Additionally, a family practice physician has an average salary of $205,717, 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 practice physician are patients, family practice, and primary care.

General practitioner vs family practice physician overview

	General Practitioner	Family Practice Physician
Yearly salary	$172,831	$205,717
Hourly rate	$83.09	$98.90
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	64,698	55,016
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

What does a general practitioner do?

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.

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.

General practitioner vs family practice physician salary

General practitioners and family practice physicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Practitioner	Family Practice Physician
Average salary	$172,831	$205,717
Salary range	Between $85,000 And $347,000	Between $136,000 And $310,000
Highest paying City	Oklahoma City, OK	Fargo, ND
Highest paying state	Mississippi	North Dakota
Best paying company	Altru Health System	Central Ohio Primary Care
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between general practitioner and family practice physician education

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

	General Practitioner	Family Practice Physician
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	Duke University	University of Pennsylvania

General practitioner vs family practice physician demographics

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

	General Practitioner	Family Practice Physician
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 60.9% Female, 39.1%	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%
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, 9.6% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between general practitioner and family practice physician duties and responsibilities

General practitioner example responsibilities.

Shadow and note specific medical cases as well as participated in patient diagnosis and treatment plan discussions
Evaluate a variety of medical conditions and afflictions, including making comprehensive diagnosis and specifying treatment plans.
Serve as initial contact to hospital patients; conduct thorough patient assessments and coordinate referrals to appropriate physicians base on findings
Assist in major elective and emergency surgeries such as appendectomies, exploratory laparotomy, thyroid surgery, hysterectomy and cesarean operations.
Collect and dispatch blood samples according to national malaria eradication and sputum samples for national tuberculosis control program.

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.

General practitioner vs family practice physician skills

Common general practitioner skills

Patients, 32%
Diagnosis, 7%
Internal Medicine, 6%
Outpatient Clinic, 5%
Emergency Room, 5%
Oral Surgery, 4%

Common family practice physician skills

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

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General Practitioner vs Family Practice Physician

Updated January 8, 2025

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