Explore pediatrician salary ranges, hourly rates, and how locum work shapes earning potential in 2026.
Pediatrics compensation reflects the specialty’s primary care model, with income driven by patient panel size, practice setting, and long-term family relationships rather than procedural volume. Most pediatricians earn between $222,987 and $265,000 annually across major benchmarks.
| Source | What it Measures | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2024 (SOC 29-1221) | Mean annual wage | $222,987 |
| Merritt Hawkins 2024 | Average starting salary | $244,000 |
| Doximity Physician Compensation Report (2025) | Median total compensation | $265,000 |
HRSA projects supply-to-demand adequacy of just 86% for primary care pediatrics by 2038. Flat or modest compensation growth in a specialty with projected shortages means the market has not fully priced in the supply gap yet. Locum demand in pediatrics is likely to grow as coverage gaps widen.
| Compensation Type | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| W-2 employed (BLS mean, ~2,080 hrs) | ~$107 /hr |
| Locum tenens — lower band | $110 /hr |
| Locum tenens — upper band | $130 /hr |
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2024; Barton Associates market data 2025–2026.
Pediatric locum demand is growing as coverage gaps widen in rural and community health settings. The combination of an aging physician workforce, residency slot constraints, and growing Medicaid-covered child populations creates persistent access gaps.
Pediatrics pay is driven by supply-demand imbalance in rural and underserved markets. HRSA projects supply-to-demand adequacy of just 86% for primary care pediatrics by 2038 — a structural driver of sustained locum demand in markets that cannot recruit permanent pediatricians quickly enough.
Rural and community health settings pay the highest pediatric locum premiums. These markets face the most acute access gaps and have the fewest alternatives for coverage.
Most pediatricians operate in clinic-based outpatient schedules centered on preventive care, chronic disease management, and longitudinal family relationships. Pediatric hospitalists and emergency pediatricians follow more shift-based structures, but general pediatrics remains primarily continuity-driven. Unlike procedural specialties, pediatric income compounds more through patient panel growth and long-term practice stability than through throughput alone.
Locum rates range from $110 to $130 per hour. The four scenarios below use representative rates from within that band.
To exceed $250,000: target rural health clinics, community health centers, and pediatric hospitalist coverage at the top of the rate band.
Pediatric locum income is less about maximizing hourly rates and more about designing a schedule that fits a physician’s life and career goals. The specialty offers unusually high flexibility relative to its income level.
A $120/hr locum rate versus a $107/hr W-2 equivalent is a meaningful structural advantage. 1099 pediatricians unlock business deductions across licensing, CME, travel, and equipment; higher retirement contributions through a SEP-IRA or Solo 401(k); the Qualified Business Income deduction of up to 20%; and S-corp structuring at higher income levels. Barton partners with Earned to help locum physicians navigate these decisions.
Barton coordinates your job search from start to finish!
We’ll schedule a phone consultation to discuss your interests, goals, and work history to find the right opportunities.
Your Barton rep will submit your information to the facility you want to take an assignment at and work on next steps.
Barton handles licensing, credentialing, and travel arrangements before you arrive so you’re ready on day one.
Most earn between $222,987 (BLS mean) and $265,000 (Doximity median). Merritt Hawkins reports an average starting salary of $244,000.
W-2 employed pediatricians average approximately $107 per hour based on BLS data. Locum tenens rates range from $110 to $130 per hour.
Hybrid models combining a 0.6 FTE employed role with regular locum days can push total compensation above $206,000. Full-time locum at $130/hr working 40 hours per week yields approximately $239,200 annually.
Rural health clinics, community health centers, and pediatric hospitalist roles in underserved markets pay the highest locum premiums. HRSA projects supply-to-demand adequacy of just 86% for primary care pediatrics by 2038.
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