The United States does not have enough doctors and the problem is only growing—according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States could see an estimated shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 primary and specialty care physicians by 2034. Despite this shortage, the overall number of physicians is also expected to grow—read on to learn more about the physician job outlook for 2024 and beyond.
BLS Projections of Physician Employment
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), overall employment of physicians is projected to grow 3% between 2022 and 2032, which is about as fast as the average for all occupations, healthcare or otherwise. The numbers break down like this: in 2022, physician employment was at 757,400, but the BLS projects that to expand to 780,900 in 2032. A deeper look at BLS data shows that the organization projects around 23,600 physician openings each year on average until 2032.
The BLS also gives estimates on physician employment between 2022 and 2032 by specialty:
- Anesthesiologists: 3% projected growth
- Cardiologists: 3% projected growth
- Dermatologists: 3% projected growth
- Emergency Medicine Physicians: 3% projected growth
- Family Medicine Physicians: 4% projected growth
- General Internal Medicine Physicians: 2% projected growth
- Neurologists: 3% projected growth
- Obstetricians and Gynecologists: 2% projected growth
- General Pediatrician: 1% projected growth
- Pathologists: 5% projected growth
- Psychiatrists: 7% projected growth
- Radiologists: 4% projected growth
- All Other Physicians: 3% projected growth
What states have the highest physician employment rates?
The BLS does not give state information for physicians in general, instead, the organization breaks it out by specialty. Here are the states with the highest physician employment rates by specialty as of May 2022:
- Anesthesiologists
- New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin
- Cardiologists
- New York, California, New Jersey, Florida, Texas
- Dermatologists
- Texas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania
- Emergency Medicine Physicians
- New York, Florida, Virginia, Massachusetts, Michigan
- Family Medicine Physicians
- California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Virginia
- General Internal Medicine Physicians
- New York, California, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts
- Neurologists
- California, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts
- Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- New York, California, Texas, Ohio, Illinois
- General Pediatrician
- New York, California, Ohio, Tennessee, New Jersey
- Pathologists
- California, Florida, New York, Texas, Massachusetts
- Psychiatrists
- California, New York, Florida, Texas, Massachusetts
- Radiologists
- Massachusetts, Illinois, New York, California, Texas
- All Other Physicians
- Florida, Texas, California, Illinois, New York
What is the unemployment rate for physicians in the United States?
Physicians have a low unemployment rate when compared to the national average—according to the 100 Best Jobs list released by the U.S. News & World Report in 2024, the unemployment rate for physicians is 0.3%, which is less than the national unemployment rate of 3.7% in January 2024.
Where do physicians commonly work?
When you think of healthcare, you likely think of doctors first. These crucial healthcare providers can be found in almost every healthcare setting, including, but not limited to:
- Hospitals
- Private Practices
- Urgent Cares
- Higher Education
- Corporate Clinics
- Telehealth Services
- Insurance Companies
- Correctional Facilities
- Indian Health Service (IHS) Facilities
Why is the physician shortage growing?
If you’re confused as to why there’s a projected growth in doctor employment at the same time as the physician grows, you’re not alone. One of the main reasons why the physician shortage is growing is because the Baby Boomer generation is entering old age at a high rate, which increases the demand for more complex healthcare. On the other side of the coin, many physicians are part of this generation and are retiring from being doctors.
Although doctor employment is growing, the numbers show that it’s not keeping pace with physician demand and doctors leaving the profession to retire.
Why become a locum tenens physician?
One way to increase access to care to patients who need it—especially those who live in rural areas with a higher shortage of healthcare professionals—is for current physicians to take locum tenens positions.
Locum tenens is a Latin phrase meaning “holding one’s place,” but in healthcare, it refers to a temporary travel medical professional who substitutes for a provider or works an open job until it can be filled with a permanent worker.
Taking a locum tenens assignment provides additional benefits not available to permanent professionals who work at a clinic or private practice, including greater work flexibility and higher earning potentials.
Learn more about how much money physicians make on average in our Physician Salary Guide.
Work With Us
Interested in diving into becoming a locum tenens physician? We connect skilled doctors with facilities that are short-staffed across the country for temporary assignments. Check out our job board and apply today to get started.
