Family Medicine Physicians
SOC code 29-1215 · O*NET-SOC 29-1215.00 · Extensive preparation needed · Healthcare
Family Medicine Physicians pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$244,180
a year
Hourly
$117.39
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$255,820
$122.99 per hour
Middle 50%
$162,420 – $334,270
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$76,830 – $428,550
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
107,510
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $76,830
- $36.94/hr
- 25th percentile
- $162,420
- $78.09/hr
- Median percentile
- $244,180
- $117.39/hr
- 75th percentile
- $334,270
- $160.71/hr
- 90th percentile
- $428,550
- $206.03/hr
What does a family medicine physician do?
Diagnose, treat, and provide preventive care to individuals and families across the lifespan. May refer patients to specialists when needed for further diagnosis or treatment.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
- Order, perform, and interpret tests and analyze records, reports, and examination information to diagnose patients' condition.
- Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, or examination results.
- Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
- Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
- Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
- Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, students, assistants, specialists, therapists, and other medical staff.
- Refer patients to medical specialists or other practitioners when necessary.
How to become a family medicine physician
Most people in this role hold doctoral degree — 59% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 5 — Extensive preparation needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- Doctoral Degree59%
- Post-Doctoral Training29%
- Master's Degree9%
- Bachelor's Degree2%
Common questions
How much does a family medicine physician earn?
The national median is $244,180 a year. The full range runs from $76,830 at the 10th percentile to $428,550 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a family medicine physician without a degree?
Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 5, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Critical Thinking4.4/5
- Reading Comprehension4.3/5
- Active Listening4.3/5
- Writing4.1/5
- Speaking4.1/5
- Active Learning4.0/5
- Monitoring4.0/5
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry5.0/5
- English Language4.7/5
- Therapy and Counseling4.6/5
- Psychology4.5/5
- Biology4.5/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.7/5
- Computers and Electronics3.4/5
- Mathematics3.3/5
Transferable strengths: Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management.