Pediatrician Salary Guide

The average pediatrician salary is $222,340 per year in the U.S., according to 2024 data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, pediatricians made an average total pay of $265,000 per year, according to Medscape’s 2025 “Physician Compensation Report.” 

Locum tenens pediatricians can make up to $125 per hour. That being said, there are many factors that impact rates including location, years of experience, and the level of demand.

If you were to extrapolate that rate over a year (at 40 hours per week), the average locum salary comes out to around $260,000. 

That means locum tenens pediatricians can make roughly 17% more than the annual mean wage as reported by the BLS. However, making direct salary comparisons can be complicated. While perm pediatricians are more likely to be salaried, locum tenens pediatricians are independent contractors earning an hourly rate, which can vary based on which assignments they take in a year. 

Furthermore, because locum tenens pediatricians are paid by the hour, the hours they work are directly reflected in their pay, while a salaried pediatricians additional hours may not be reflected in their salary.

Finally, paid time off and insurance may be reflected in the perm pediatrician salary structure, but locum tenens providers do have options when it comes to health insurance. 

The most recent state breakdown of pediatrician salaries comes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS was not able to collect enough data for all 50 states, however the top 5 highest paying states for pediatricians are:

• Louisiana
• Alaska
• California
• Mississippi
• Iowa

Pediatricians are in the bottom half of the 29 physician specialties surveyed in Medscape’s 2025 “Physician Compensation Report.” The top five specialties (orthopedics & orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, radiology, cardiology, and gastroenterology) all reported annual income of greater than $500,000.

Pediatrician salaries increased by 2% from 2023 to 2024 according to Medscape. If pediatricians continue this growth from 2024, pediatricians can expect to make around $270,300 of annual income in 2025, however this depends heavily on assignment location, experience, and other factors. Overall, compensation for pediatricians should continue to increase in the next few years.