Pathologists: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Stan T.Career, Overview

Pathologists

Pathologists diagnose presence and stage of diseases using laboratory techniques and patient specimens. Study the nature, cause, and development of diseases. May perform autopsies.

Salary
$218850
Becoming One
Very Hard
Education
Doctoral degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



Job description

Pathologists diagnose presence and stage of diseases using laboratory techniques and patient specimens. Study the nature, cause, and development of diseases. May perform autopsies.

  • Examine microscopic samples to identify diseases or other abnormalities.
  • Diagnose diseases or study medical conditions using techniques such as gross pathology, histology, cytology, cytopathology, clinical chemistry, immunology, flow cytometry, or molecular biology.
  • Write pathology reports summarizing analyses, results, and conclusions.
  • Identify the etiology, pathogenesis, morphological change, and clinical significance of diseases.
Read more about what does a Pathologist really do at work and what is it like being and working as one.



Salary

Average salary
$203880 per year

Average hourly wage
$98 per hour


Pathologists with little to no experience tend to make between $60280 and $111440 while the more experienced ones can earn over $208,000 per year.

Top 5 paying states Hourly Annual
NH $133 $275,840
ND $128 $266,510
ME $124 $257,550
MT $119 $247,260
MN $118 $245,040

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Pathologist is to move to a higher paying state like NH. Right now, the highest paying states for Pathologists are NH, ND, ME, MT and MN.

However, a higher pay at NH doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at NH might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Pathologist is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.


Requirements

Recommended degree level
Doctoral degree

We asked other Pathologists what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a Post-Doctoral Training followed by a PhD.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Medicine
Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy
Aerospace Medicine Residency Program
Allergy and Immunology Residency Program
Child Neurology Residency Program
Read more about how to become a Pathologist and the degree, training and education you need.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Pathologist.

PROS
Suitable for people who likes to solve problems mentally
Suitable for people who values achievements and are results-oriented
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
Demand for this career is growing very fast
CONS
Not suitable for people who likes to start and carry out projects
It is very hard to get into this career. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience is required for this career.
Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week)

What is the job like

Job satisfaction
74%

Is this job meaningful
82%


74% of Pathologists said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.


Is this right for me

Best personality for this career
The Thinkers and The Builders

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.



Learn more about Pathologists

Summary (You are here)
Job Description
Salary
Requirements
Quiz

Related career information

Pathologists job description, Pathologists salary, Pathologists information, what is the job of a Pathologist like, pros and cons about Pathologists, colleges and universities for Pathologists, is Pathologists the right career for me, careers in Healthcare and Medical

Similar careers

Anatomic Pathologist, Animal Pathologist, Associate Pathologist, Associate Professor of Pathology, Attending Pathologist, Autopsy Pathologist, Chemical Pathologist, Clinical Laboratory Medical Director, Clinical Pathologist, Cytologist

Additional resources