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.
Table of Contents
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.
Salary
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
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 |
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 |
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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
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
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.
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