How to Become a Physician (Family Medicine)
Serve as the front line of medicine: diagnosing, treating, and coordinating lifelong preventive care for patients of every age. It typically requires a doctoral degree (md/do) + residency, with a median salary of $244,180 per year and about average projected job growth.
Median pay
$244,180/yr
Middle half
$162,420 to $334,270
Job growth
About average
Openings / yr
3,300
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Clinical Diagnosis
- Patient Care
- Critical Thinking
- Communication
- Care Coordination
Helpful certifications
- USMLE/COMLEX + ABFM board certification
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
2/100
Work-life balance
78/100
Stress level
82/100
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- Pharmacist$140,910 median
- Optometrist$136,570 median
- Physician Assistant$135,880 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Physician (Family Medicine) make?
The median pay for a Physician (Family Medicine) is $244,180 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $162,420 and $334,270 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Physician (Family Medicine)?
The usual entry point is a doctoral degree (md/do) + residency. Common majors are Biology, Chemistry, Pre-Med / Pre-Health, and Biochemistry.
Is Physician (Family Medicine) a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is about average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 3,300 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Physician (Family Medicine) use most?
Common skills for this role are Clinical Diagnosis, Patient Care, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Care Coordination.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).