Pediatrician Salary

The average pediatrician salary in the United States is $183,180 and C$284,600 in Canada. Pediatricians in the United Kingdom generally earn between £37,547 and £70,018. The range in Australia is AU$140,000 to AU$180,000 per year. For Switzerland, the median salary for those practicing 10 to 19 years is CHF71,500. The mean salary in Norway is generally NOK76,600 for physicians.

Learn below how the country, its health care system and experience can affect pay for a pediatrician.

Pediatrician Salary Influencers

The pay for pediatricians differs by country. However, experience and certification are common factors for salaries. In many of these countries, the universal nature of the health care system also plays a role.

1. Industry

In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Norway and Switzerland, government agencies set guidelines for the compensation of pediatricians. The National Health Service in the United Kingdom is the primary employer of pediatricians and generally sets a salary range based on experience and other factors. In other countries, private practices or non-government run hospitals have a somewhat greater presence. Approximately 15 percent of Canadian pediatricians obtained pay from salary. Roughly a third received compensation from fees for their services.

In the United States, approximately 21,390 pediatricians worked in physicians’ offices. The next highest employment level resides in the General Medical and Hospital Sectors, with 4,730. Pediatricians in the United States generally can set their charges without government involvement.  Experience serves as a significant driver of salaries.

2. Geographical Area

Pediatrician Salary	Hourly Wage	Annual Wage
US	$88.07	$183,180
Canada	C$136.83	C$284,600
UK	£24.04	£50,000
Australia	AU$76.92	AU$160,000
Switzerland	CHF38.46	CHF80,000
Norway	NOK441.92	NOK919,200

Pediatrician Salary in the US

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, pediatricians earned an average pay of $183,180. Specialty pediatricians had the highest average salary, at $228,440. Generally, the median salary stands at $170,800. At least one in four made over $187,200.

Pediatrician Salary in Canada

The Canadian Medical Association reports an average salary for pediatricians of C$284,600 as of 2013-2014.

Pediatrician Salary in the UK

The National Health Service sets salaries for physicians in the United Kingdom, with ranges based generally on levels of certification and experience. Pediatricians in the United Kingdom are considered specialty doctors. As such, they earn between £37,547 and £70,018. Consultant salaries range between £76,001 and £102,465. Consultants can add to the base salary through private practice, teaching or assuming a management role.

Pediatrician Salary in Australia

According to the Career Centre of Western Australia, pediatricians’ salaries range between AU$140,000 and AU$180,000 per year, or AU$2,692 and AU$3,461 per week.

Pediatrician Salary in Switzerland

PayScale reports that pediatricians in Switzerland with 10 to 19 years of experience had a median salary of CHF 71,500 per year. For those with at least 20 years in practice, the median salary was CHF 378,000. Pediatricians in hospitals made approximately CHF 54,500 annually.

Pediatrician Salary in Norway

Statistics Norway indicates an average pay of NOK76,600 per month for physicians in Norway, as of 2014. This figure is for the Private Health and Social Work activities group. As of 2015, the monthly average for physicians in “Health Enterprises” is NOK69,200.

3. Experience

Generally, pediatricians must obtain board certification. Work experience in the form of residency serves as a prerequisite to certification. The American Board of Pediatrics requires pediatricians to complete three years of pediatric residency following graduation from medical school. The residency program affords general training in pediatric care and, in the latter years, greater responsibility for patient care and supervision over staff and students. Pediatricians in Canada must complete a four-year pediatric residency program approved by the Royal College, with three years in comprehensive training in pediatric medicine.

In the United Kingdom, the training usually consists of two years in foundation training. Eight years of training in the pediatric specialty follows. The final two years are devoted, at the trainee’s option, to one of 17 sub-specialties or continuation in general pediatrics. Australia requires pediatricians to first undertake a two-year residency in a hospital, then apply to the Royal Austrailasian College of Physicians.

Working Hours

Pediatricians work full time hours, sometimes over 40 hours per week. For example, the average work week is 50 hours for Australian pediatricians. In Canada, pediatricians worked an average of 47 hours per week, according to a 2014 National Physician Survey.

The schedules depend on the setting. Those in private practice or clinics normally work daytime hours. However, express clinics remain open during evenings and weekends to accommodate illnesses which may need attention, but do not constitute medical emergencies. In hospital settings, pediatricians keep shifts of at least twelve hours at a particular time.

Bonuses & Benefit Packages

In the United States, benefit packages for staff pediatricians are set by the employer or hospital. The United Kingdom’s National Health Services affords pediatricians a pension. The minimum age to draw is 55 years old. Under Norwegian law, employed pediatricians are entitled to a leave of absence, occupational pension, insurance, occupational sickness benefits and also holiday pay.

As a rule of thumb, Australian physicians in hospitals can receive up to 10 paid sick days per year and five weeks of paid leave per year. Australia allows employees to receive up to 30 percent of their pay tax-free to use toward living expenses. Pediatricians and other physicians can get at least 9.5 percent of their salary in superannuation payments.