Physician vs nurse

The differences between physicians and 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 physician, becoming a nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a physician has an average salary of $238,887, which is higher than the $57,564 average annual salary of a nurse.

The top three skills for a physician include patients, surgery and patient care. The most important skills for a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.

Physician vs nurse overview

	Physician	Nurse
Yearly salary	$238,887	$57,564
Hourly rate	$114.85	$27.68
Growth rate	7%	6%
Number of jobs	46,489	696,124
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	48	44
Years of experience	4	2

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 nurse do?

Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.

Physician vs nurse salary

Physicians and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physician	Nurse
Average salary	$238,887	$57,564
Salary range	Between $128,000 And $442,000	Between $38,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Cleveland, TN	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Wisconsin	California
Best paying company	Yuma Regional Medical Center	Conviva
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between physician and nurse education

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

	Physician	Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Medicine	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Physician vs nurse demographics

Here are the differences between physicians' and nurses' demographics:

	Physician	Nurse
Average age	48	44
Gender ratio	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%	Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%
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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	13%	9%

Differences between physician and nurse 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.

Nurse example responsibilities.

Monitor patients' status during surgery (circulate in operating room) and manage patients in PACU.
Manage high-acuity cardiac/pulmonary and psychiatric patients
Monitor patients for cardiac rhythm changes and implement medication according to ACLS guidelines.
Educate patients and families on diseases processes, medications, wind care, and iv infusion.
Provide care for patients on medical/surgical, transplant, cardiac, orthopedic, postpartum, neonatal ICU, and psychiatric units
Demonstrate competence in CPR and other medical emergency situations.

Physician vs nurse skills

Common physician skills

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

Common nurse skills

Patients, 21%
Home Health, 7%
CPR, 6%
BLS, 6%
Acute Care, 5%
Acls, 4%

Physician vs. similar jobs

Physician related careers

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Physician vs Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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