Pediatrician vs primary care provider

The differences between pediatricians and primary care providers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pediatrician has an average salary of $191,371, which is higher than the $35,422 average annual salary of a primary care provider.

The top three skills for a pediatrician include patients, primary care and ADHD. The most important skills for a primary care provider are patients, internal medicine, and family practice.

Pediatrician vs primary care provider overview

	Pediatrician	Primary Care Provider
Yearly salary	$191,371	$35,422
Hourly rate	$92.01	$17.03
Growth rate	7%	36%
Number of jobs	4,117	103,863
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	-

What does a pediatrician do?

A Pediatrician diagnoses and treats childrens injuries and diseases. They examine patients and maintain records such as medical history, reports, and examination results.

What does a primary care provider do?

Primary Care Providers, also known as general practitioners instead of specialists, are doctors trained to be the first point of contact for a patient entering the health care system. They diagnose, treat, and prevent a broad range of injuries and illnesses from allergies and colds to longer-term conditions such as Diabetes Mellitus. Their duties include performing lab tests to identify a condition, prescribing medications, checking for drug interactions, provide wound care, executing spirometry tests and electrocardiograms, and coordinating specialist care for your condition. A Primary Care Provider will also help create self-care plans prescribing a certain diet and recommending exercise routines.

Pediatrician vs primary care provider salary

Pediatricians and primary care providers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pediatrician	Primary Care Provider
Average salary	$191,371	$35,422
Salary range	Between $124,000 And $293,000	Between $21,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Grand Forks, ND	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Connecticut
Best paying company	Yuma Regional Medical Center	AstraZeneca
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between pediatrician and primary care provider education

There are a few differences between a pediatrician and a primary care provider in terms of educational background:

	Pediatrician	Primary Care Provider
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Medicine	Nursing
Most common college	University of Virginia	-

Pediatrician vs primary care provider demographics

Here are the differences between pediatricians' and primary care providers' demographics:

	Pediatrician	Primary Care Provider
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 27.2% Female, 72.8%	Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 18.1% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 9.7% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	10%	7%

Differences between pediatrician and primary care provider duties and responsibilities

Pediatrician example responsibilities.

Provide exceptional continuity of care and patient satisfaction by managing patients in both outpatient and inpatient pediatric settings.
Work as pediatrician in Al-Ain medical district - PHC - M.O.H of the UAE
care with splinting, suturing ,
Administer vaccines to babies and kids.
Coordinate CME activities for the medical staff.
Identify medical rehabilitation needs (hearing aids, low vision aids).

Primary care provider example responsibilities.

Manage provider network to include verifying claims and benefits for healthcare providers/members and insurance companies.
Work alongside ABA therapists to continue to apply appropriate behavioral techniques.
Examine patients and carefully analyze test results and information gather during examinations to properly diagnose illnesses and diseases.
Used strong oral and written communications skills to develop and maintain effective relationships with patients, co-workers and international medical professionals.
Provide caring companionship to developmentally disabled/elderly residents.
Assist with toileting, including bedpans, urinals and commode chairs.

Pediatrician vs primary care provider skills

Common pediatrician skills

Patients, 30%
Primary Care, 16%
ADHD, 9%
Neonatology, 5%
Internal Medicine, 5%
Epic, 4%

Common primary care provider skills

Patients, 31%
Internal Medicine, 13%
Family Practice, 12%
Patient Care, 11%
Urgent Care, 10%
NP, 4%

Pediatrician vs. similar jobs

Pediatrician related careers

Pediatrician related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Pediatrician
Pediatrician vs Primary Care Provider

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs