Pediatrician vs triage nurse

The differences between pediatricians and triage nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a pediatrician, becoming a triage nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a pediatrician has an average salary of $191,371, which is higher than the $64,592 average annual salary of a triage nurse.

The top three skills for a pediatrician include patients, primary care and ADHD. The most important skills for a triage nurse are patients, home health, and patient education.

Pediatrician vs triage nurse overview

	Pediatrician	Triage Nurse
Yearly salary	$191,371	$64,592
Hourly rate	$92.01	$31.05
Growth rate	7%	6%
Number of jobs	4,117	345,410
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	48	44
Years of experience	4	2

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 triage nurse do?

A triage nurse provides patient care and overall nursing duties alongside the resident doctor in a clinic or hospital. It is the task of a triage nurse to oversee the condition of each patient and to report immediately to a doctor when emergencies occur. Added tasks of a triage nurse are monitoring and administering doctor prescriptions, and providing a caring environment for patients and their relatives through constant communication. The triage nurse is an essential part of a healthcare facility and is in-demand in many places around the world.

Pediatrician vs triage nurse salary

Pediatricians and triage nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pediatrician	Triage Nurse
Average salary	$191,371	$64,592
Salary range	Between $124,000 And $293,000	Between $43,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City	Grand Forks, ND	-
Highest paying state	North Dakota	-
Best paying company	Yuma Regional Medical Center	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between pediatrician and triage nurse education

There are a few differences between a pediatrician and a triage nurse in terms of educational background:

	Pediatrician	Triage Nurse
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Medicine	Nursing
Most common college	University of Virginia	Duke University

Pediatrician vs triage nurse demographics

Here are the differences between pediatricians' and triage nurses' demographics:

	Pediatrician	Triage Nurse
Average age	48	44
Gender ratio	Male, 27.2% Female, 72.8%	Male, 9.1% Female, 90.9%
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, 11.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	10%	9%

Differences between pediatrician and triage nurse 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).

Triage nurse example responsibilities.

Recognize and manage maternal complications: hemorrhage, preeclampsia, endometritis.
Provide outpatient chemotherapy administration, patient education and telephone triage of patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Follow up on denials and appeals.
Experience in initiating prior authorizations, denials, and appeals.
Perform EKG's, labs, vision screening, hearing tests, pulmonary function tests.
Handle all heavy phone scheduling which include visits, blood work, diagnostic testing and cardiac rehabilitation.

Pediatrician vs triage nurse skills

Common pediatrician skills

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

Common triage nurse skills

Patients, 30%
Home Health, 10%
Patient Education, 4%
Test Results, 3%
Symptom Management, 3%
Urgent Care, 3%

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Pediatrician
Pediatrician vs Triage Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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