Physician vs family practice physician

The differences between physicians 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 physician and a family practice physician. Additionally, a physician has an average salary of $238,887, which is higher than the $205,717 average annual salary of a family practice physician.

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

Physician vs family practice physician overview

	Physician	Family Practice Physician
Yearly salary	$238,887	$205,717
Hourly rate	$114.85	$98.90
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	46,489	55,016
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

What does a physician do?

Physicians' general responsibility is to check, diagnose, and treat a patient's condition to improve their overall wellness. A physician could be General Practitioners or Specialist Physicians, wherein General Practitioners are physicians who provide regular checkups for patients depending on their needs and refer them to a Specialist Physicians who are more skilled in a particular field of expertise for a thorough diagnosis. Physicians monitor a patient's medical history and ensure follow-up checkups to observe if the condition of a patient is changing over time. A physician may refer a patient to other health professionals for further examination as needed.

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.

Physician vs family practice physician salary

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

	Physician	Family Practice Physician
Average salary	$238,887	$205,717
Salary range	Between $128,000 And $442,000	Between $136,000 And $310,000
Highest paying City	Cleveland, TN	Fargo, ND
Highest paying state	Wisconsin	North Dakota
Best paying company	Yuma Regional Medical Center	Central Ohio Primary Care
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between physician and family practice physician education

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

	Physician	Family Practice Physician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	Duke University	University of Pennsylvania

Physician vs family practice physician demographics

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

	Physician	Family Practice Physician
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%	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 physician and family practice physician duties and responsibilities

Physician example responsibilities.

Manage catheters and dress wounds.
Maintain ACLS and BLS certifications.
Treat complicated oncology cases in ICU and emergency.
Schedule new, follow-up and diagnostic testing for cardiology patients.
Attend radiation oncology clinic for new patients beginning treatment as well as follow-ups for returning patients.
Schedule tests and procedures (including radiology, cardiology, and respiratory) utilizing the hospital and clinic computer systems.

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.

Physician vs family practice physician skills

Common physician skills

Patients, 22%
Surgery, 8%
Patient Care, 7%
Internal Medicine, 6%
Primary Care, 6%
EMR, 6%

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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Physician vs Family Practice Physician

Updated January 8, 2025

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