Primary care physician demographics and statistics in the US
Primary care physician demographics research summary. Zippia estimates primary care physician demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our primary care physician estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about primary care physicians after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 153,317 primary care physicians currently employed in the United States.
- 50.6% of all primary care physicians are women, while 49.4% are men.
- The average primary care physician age is 48 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of primary care physicians is White (61.5%), followed by Asian (19.1%), Hispanic or Latino (9.6%) and Black or African American (5.2%).
- In 2022, women earned 90% of what men earned.
- 13% of all primary care physicians are LGBT.
- Primary care physicians are 84% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Primary care physician demographics by:
Primary care physician gender statistics
50.6% of primary care physicians are women and 49.4% of primary care physicians are men.
- Female, 50.6%
- Male, 49.4%
Primary care physician gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 50.6% |
| Male | 49.4% |
Primary care physician gender pay gap
Women earn 90¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$221,054
Female income
$198,269
Primary care physician gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in primary care physician positions over time. Currently, 50.6% of primary care physicians are female.
Primary care physician gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 57.87% | 42.13% |
| 2011 | 56.37% | 43.63% |
| 2012 | 57.22% | 42.78% |
| 2013 | 55.69% | 44.31% |
| 2014 | 54.80% | 45.20% |
| 2015 | 55.03% | 44.97% |
| 2016 | 54.22% | 45.78% |
| 2017 | 52.24% | 47.76% |
| 2018 | 50.57% | 49.43% |
| 2019 | 50.49% | 49.51% |
| 2020 | 48.98% | 51.02% |
| 2021 | 49.38% | 50.62% |
Primary care physician related jobs gender ratio
We compared primary care physicians with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, flight surgeon and optometrist, owner have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Nurse Midwife | 2% | 98% |
| Perinatal Nurse | 3% | 97% |
| Therapeutic Dietitian | 3% | 97% |
| Primary Care Physician | 49% | 51% |
| Radiology Resident | 75% | 25% |
| Optometrist, Owner | 76% | 24% |
| Flight Surgeon | 82% | 18% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Primary care physician demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among primary care physicians is White, which makes up 61.5% of all primary care physicians. Comparatively, 19.1% of primary care physicians are Asian and 9.6% of primary care physicians are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 61.5%
- Asian, 19.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 9.6%
- Black or African American, 5.2%
- Unknown, 4.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Primary care physician race
| Primary care physician race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 61.5% |
| Asian | 19.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.6% |
| Black or African American | 5.2% |
| Unknown | 4.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Primary care physician race and ethnicity over time
See how primary care physician racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Primary care physician race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.18% | 5.15% | 16.74% | 8.61% |
| 2011 | 67.23% | 5.23% | 16.66% | 8.46% |
| 2012 | 67.30% | 4.99% | 16.31% | 8.98% |
| 2013 | 65.39% | 5.41% | 17.53% | 9.21% |
| 2014 | 66.47% | 5.03% | 17.09% | 8.95% |
| 2015 | 66.60% | 4.88% | 17.32% | 9.01% |
| 2016 | 64.55% | 5.26% | 18.73% | 8.68% |
| 2017 | 65.17% | 5.12% | 17.89% | 9.11% |
| 2018 | 64.60% | 5.20% | 18.11% | 9.23% |
| 2019 | 64.84% | 4.79% | 18.71% | 8.93% |
| 2020 | 62.34% | 5.03% | 18.84% | 9.46% |
| 2021 | 61.50% | 5.17% | 19.13% | 9.57% |
Primary care physician wage gap by race
According to our data, white primary care physicians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown primary care physicians have the lowest average salary at $216,258.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $216,258 |
| White | $226,380 |
| Black or African American | $216,629 |
| Asian | $225,725 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $220,490 |
Average primary care physician age
See how the average age of primary care physicians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Primary care physician age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 45 | 43 |
| White | 51 | 45 |
| Black or African American | 51 | 42 |
| Asian | 46 | 45 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 51 | 44 |
Primary care physician age breakdown
The average age of primary care physicians is 40+ years years old, representing 72% of the primary care physician population.
Primary care physician age breakdown
| Primary Care Physician Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 72% |
| 30-40 years | 27% |
| 20-30 years | 1% |
Primary care physician educational attainment
The most common degree for primary care physicians is doctoral degree, with 40% of primary care physicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 34% and bachelor's degree degree at 5%.
- Doctorate, 40%
- Bachelor's, 34%
- Master's, 5%
- Associate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 16%
Primary care physicians by degree level
| Primary care physician degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Doctorate | 40% |
| Bachelor's | 34% |
| Master's | 5% |
| Associate | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 16% |
Primary care physician jobs you might like
Primary care physician employment statistics
Most primary care physicians work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where primary care physicians work
Below, you can see the size of companies where primary care physicians work.
Primary care physician jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 24% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 31% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Primary care physician jobs by company type
Employees with the primary care physician job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most primary care physicians prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Primary care physician jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 6% |
| Public | 6% |
| Private | 84% |
| Government | 4% |
Primary care physician jobs by industry
The most common industries for primary care physicians are health care, professional and education.
Primary care physician industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 75% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Education | 4% |
| Pharmaceutical | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Insurance | 2% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
Primary care physician turnover and employment statistics
Primary care physician unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for primary care physicians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Primary care physician unemployment rate by year
| Year | Primary care physician unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.73% |
| 2011 | 0.72% |
| 2012 | 0.53% |
| 2013 | 0.68% |
| 2014 | 0.67% |
| 2015 | 0.66% |
| 2016 | 0.38% |
| 2017 | 0.38% |
| 2018 | 0.55% |
| 2019 | 0.43% |
| 2020 | 0.67% |
| 2021 | 0.61% |
Average primary care physician tenure
The average primary care physician stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,520 primary care physicians resumes in Zippia's database.
Primary care physician tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
Primary care physician LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of primary care physicians that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Speech-Language Pathology Internship | 5.69% | 72,220 |
| Geriatric Psychiatrist | 9.88% | 5,113 |
| Anesthesiologist Assistant-Certified | 11.62% | 78,169 |
| Educational Therapist | 13.00% | 23,538 |
| Primary Care Physician | 13.05% | - |
| Chief, Optometry Service | 17.57% | 20,889 |
| Chief Nurse Anesthetist | 31.64% | 17,242 |
Similar primary care physician jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Speech-Language Pathology Internship | 5.69% | 72,220 |
| Geriatric Psychiatrist | 9.88% | 5,113 |
| Anesthesiologist Assistant-Certified | 11.62% | 78,169 |
| Educational Therapist | 13.00% | 23,538 |
| Chief, Optometry Service | 17.57% | 20,889 |
| Chief Nurse Anesthetist | 31.64% | 17,242 |
Foreign languages spoken by primary care physicians
The most common foreign language among primary care physicians is Spanish at 56.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.3% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 7.5%.
- Spanish, 56.7%
- French, 8.3%
- Arabic, 7.5%
- Chinese, 3.3%
- Hindi, 3.3%
- Other, 20.9%
Primary care physician languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 56.7% |
| French | 8.3% |
| Arabic | 7.5% |
| Chinese | 3.3% |
| Hindi | 3.3% |
| Other | 20.9% |
