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Job outlook for resident doctors in the United States
Resident doctor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected resident doctor job growth rate is 7% from 2018-2028.
About 55,400 new jobs for resident doctors are projected over the next decade.
Resident doctor salaries have increased 1% for resident doctors in the last 5 years.
There are over 4,558 resident doctors currently employed in the United States.
There are 6,571 active resident doctor job openings in the US.
The average resident doctor salary is $161,459.
Are resident doctor jobs in demand?
Resident doctor job and salary trends over time
Resident doctor jobs over time
Resident doctor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,558 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 4,424 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 5,174 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 79,230 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 72,365 | 0.02% |
Average resident doctor salary over time
Resident doctor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $161,459 | $77.62 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $157,539 | $75.74 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $154,881 | $74.46 | --5.0% |
| 2022 | $162,976 | $78.35 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $159,529 | $76.70 | +4.7% |
Resident doctor jobs by state
Most common states for resident doctors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 595 | 11% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 30 | 4% |
| 3 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 152 | 3% |
| 4 | New York | 19,849,399 | 333 | 2% |
| 5 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 226 | 2% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 221 | 2% |
| 7 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 198 | 2% |
| 8 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 193 | 2% |
| 9 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 106 | 2% |
| 10 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 104 | 2% |
| 11 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 102 | 2% |
| 12 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 81 | 2% |
| 13 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 56 | 2% |
| 14 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 16 | 2% |
| 15 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 15 | 2% |
| 16 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 14 | 2% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 10 | 2% |
| 18 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 97 | 1% |
| 19 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 67 | 1% |
| 20 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 13 | 1% |
Resident Doctor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of resident doctor experts
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Marshall University
The University of Akron
University at Albany, SUNY
University of Arizona
Virginia Commonwealth University
East Tennessee State University
Abram Brummett Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorOakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Department of Foundational Medical Studies
What general advice would you give to a Resident Doctor?
Abram Brummett Ph.D.: One thing I am seeing my medical students have success with is delving into ethics issues that arise in the medical specialty that interests them. This work often comes up in their residency interviews, which may impact their future training opportunities and eventual salary. I am very proud of the ethics research our students are doing at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.
What Resident Doctor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Abram Brummett Ph.D.: It's possible to have perfect medical knowledge and still be a bad doctor. This is because every clinical encounter is a moral encounter--one where patients need a physician who is professional, compassionate, and humanistic. Medical texts will not develop these critical characteristics, they will come through activities like engagement with the arts, community service, and maintaining a life outside of medicine. The excellent physician never forgets this.
What will help Resident Doctors increase their earning potential?
Abram Brummett Ph.D.: Thoughtful use of AI to enhance patient care is likely to be a critical skill for physicians to develop in the next 3-5 years. Newer physicians who may already have more familiarity with technology are well positioned to be pioneers in this process. It's not merely a skill to develop, but a potentially fruitful area of research to cultivate.
What general advice would you give to a Resident Doctor?
John Colclough: Be patient and stay informed. Many performers think their career is about the work in the rehearsal hall or in performance-not so, the real work is in the management of your business. Being an authority of WHO, WHAT and WHERE is key. WHO are the players in your market? The directors, actors, casting people, producing organizations, etc...these are who you need to know-your network. WHAT opportunities exist in your market? The theatres, video companies, universities (if you have an MFA you may be able to teach a class or two), Improvisation groups, any opportunity that allows you to grow your brand is worth your attention. And finally, WHERE are the opportunities-knowing your community and having a sense of how each company fits into the fabric of the community. Having a sense of where the company resides both geographically and virtually (web sites) and having a solid knowledge base of details of each company can inform your marketing tactics as well as provide you with specific details unique to each organization. Careers develop over time and keeping expectations realistic over the first year can be challenging. Be practical and methodical in your approach: save money (there's never enough), find a place to live (the best you can afford), find a side hustle (you're going to need money and routine), find out the lay of the land (WHO, WHAT, and WHERE), develop your skill set (take a class and meet colleagues), go to productions, screenings, workshops, document your growth (keep a journal or calendar to track your progress), celebrate your successes and be patient with your stumbles-Hard knocks are the best teachers!
What skills stand out on Resident Doctor resumes?
Dr. Stephen Weeks: Generally, employers like to see "hands-on" skills for graduates. So, lab-based classes, internships, volunteer work (e.g., in hospitals or other health care settings), and experience in research labs look great on resumes. Because biology is such a diverse field, I cannot point to specific skills for the entire range of biology. Generally, however, having good writing skills will almost certainly be helpful for any biology career.
What type of skills will young Resident Doctors need?
Dr. Cecilia Levy: I think most importantly, right now, are computing skills and data analysis skills, which are usually covered in advanced experimental/computational physics classes. These give students opportunities to work as data scientists or in various analysts jobs. It's particularly important this year, where the job market is highly impacted by COVID: any job that can be performed from home is a plus. For the coming years, the beauty of physics is that it trains students in many different areas: some will become technicians; others will become teachers. Others will go get a job in the industry, work in a lab, or become analysts. Some will use physics to go into banking or enter med school or law school. But regardless of where they end up, I do think that strong computing and analytical skills are the sine qua non requirement.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Resident Doctors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Cecilia Levy: I don't think so. As with everything, cities and higher population density areas offer more opportunities.
How do you envision technology impacting Resident Doctors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Cecilia Levy: Things change a lot and fast, and physicists tend to be aware of new discoveries. Usually, these can then be integrated into upper-level classes. As far as technology, physics is not engineering, but advances in technology can also be discussed in class. As far as impacting the field, there is always the possibility that new technological advances become very useful and incorporated into experiments. However, physics is a very, very broad field, and people specialize in many different areas. Some overlap very little. So some areas will be more impacted than others by a different technology, and experimental physics is probably more generally impacted than theoretical physics.
What experience really stands out on Resident Doctor resumes?
Charles Wolgemuth: Whether a student is applying to graduate school or to industry; work and/or research experience really stands out. From what I understand, specifics like which school someone attended, what grades they got, or what awards they received are secondary to having evidence that they can apply their education in a work environment.
What Resident Doctor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Charles Wolgemuth: This is, of course, going to depend on the specific industry that a student is applying to. However, one skill that I have heard that is largely sought out is problem-solving. Any activities that allow a graduate to improve their problem-solving abilities will be beneficial, especially if the activity provides a demonstrable outcome to highlight the graduate's problem-solving abilities. In addition, computers continue to play a larger role in most industries, and the ability to code is a skill that will be more and more sought after.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Resident Doctors in the next 3-5 years?
Charles Wolgemuth: This, too, is going to be highly dependent on the specific industry. Automation is definitely going to impact more and more industries. A current technology that has been gaining a lot of ground in this area is Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. However, my own feeling is that these techniques are going to quickly run up against their limitations and may not continue to grow (though that may be more like 10-15 years in the future, not 3-5).
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Resident Doctor job market given the pandemic?
Supriyo Bandyopadhyay: The job market in physics and related fields will shrink worldwide, certainly in the U.S. academia, in the near future, because of the economic downturn brought about by COVID. It is not that the research funding in the U.S. has dried up, but most universities rely on student tuition as a steady revenue stream, and that has been adversely affected. Universities are experiencing hiring freezes, which does not bode well for Physics Ph.D.s. Industrial and government labs are not inundated with funding either. Increasingly, physics graduates in the U.S. should look overseas, where there may find better opportunities.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Resident Doctors in the next 3-5 years?
Supriyo Bandyopadhyay: Quantum computing technologies, particularly those that can accelerate drug discoveries through vastly increased computational prowess, nanotechnologies that can impact the health sector, etc., will become more popular in the field of physics because of the job opportunities that they will offer. Clean energy technologies, technologies that pertain to renewable resources, will also become more important and prevalent. Science, like most other fields, is driven by demand. Technologies that are in demand will grow.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Resident Doctors in the next 5 years?
Supriyo Bandyopadhyay: This depends on how we handle the pandemic and other future world events (e.g., wars, conflicts, economic recession, etc.). If there is stability, the demand will grow. Otherwise, it will shrink. I expect the demand to grow rapidly in newly industrialized nations, if there are no unforeseen events, and the pandemic is brought under control.
What type of skills will young Resident Doctors need?
Dr. Reid B. Blackwelder: A constant need is for graduates to have an ingrained approach to having the legendary "bedside manner," which is best exemplified by the comfort with patient-centered communication skills. Attending to rapport, active listening for cues and clues, obtaining the patient's perspective of illness, and comfort in recognizing and responding to emotion are essential abilities.
In this new age, being able to translate those skills into telehealth visits will be essential.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Resident Doctors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Reid B. Blackwelder: Family physicians actually are the most recruited specialty, according to Merritt-Hawkins, for the last 14 years! So family physicians can find a good job in communities with needs easily. Family physicians do tend to locate in rural and underserved areas, more than physicians in other specialties.
How do you envision technology impacting Resident Doctors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Reid B. Blackwelder: As noted, telehealth will now be a routine part of providing care. However, this will be limited by another kind of patient access challenge. Many of the current patients cannot do a full telehealth visit because they do not have the right phone, computer, or internet access.
It's suspected telehealth will open the door to various medical smartphone apps.
I call current systems "EBRs" - Electronic Billing Records. They have nothing to do with health! We need an electronic record that actually focuses on health and not like current systems, which are all about billing. Physicians do more chart care than patient care. This has to change.