Starting Salary

• Pediatricians first start earning salaries during their residencies; this typically ranges from $30,000 to $45,000, according to yourpediatrician.com, which is less than one-third of the average pediatrician salary. In his first year of work, a pediatrician employed in the United States will earn an annual salary that can range from $90,000 per year to $130,000 per year, according to PayScale.com.
  
  

Experience

• Between five and nine years of experience, pediatrician salaries start to increase even more to an average range of $100,000 per year to $145,000 per year, according to PayScale. From 10 to 19 years of experience, salary levels for pediatricians rise to a range of $108,000 per year to $150,000 per year. Salaries for veteran pediatricians who have worked for more than 20 years can top out at $160,000 per year or more.
  
  

Advancement

• Most pediatricians advance in salary simply by earning years of work experience at hospitals, clinics or other medical settings. Some go through the process of learning a pediatric specialty to increase their salaries. Pediatricians specializing in neurology, oncology or hematology can earn salaries up to $250,000 per year after just three years of experience, according to the Mom MD website. In larger hospitals and clinics, pediatricians can also advance to supervisory roles or may start a private practice.
  
  

Job Outlook

• In the United States, job opportunities for pediatricians are expected to rise much faster than average when compared to all careers between 2008 and 2018. This will be due mainly to the need to replace experienced pediatricians who will be retiring. Job opportunities are expected to be especially good in rural areas, which are traditionally under-served by medical professionals. Demand for pediatricians could be limited by increases in health care technology.