Also called: Orthopedist
Fixes bones, joints, and ligaments, from torn ACLs to hip replacements.
Might replace two knees in the morning using power tools that look like they belong in a workshop, then see athletes and older adults in clinic in the afternoon. Reads X-rays and MRIs constantly.
BLS top-codes many physician wages; figures are estimates for attending physicians after residency (residents earn about $65k-$80k while training). One of the highest-paid specialties.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 14 years after high school. Bachelor's, medical school, then a 5-year orthopedic residency, often plus a 1-year fellowship.
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Pre-Medicine.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. AI plans implants and reads X-rays faster, and robots guide joint cuts; the surgeon still operates and owns the outcome.
Classes: AP Biology, Physics, Anatomy & physiology, Woodshop or engineering CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1242.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.