Average Pathologist Salary Data & Figures For 2024

According to Medscape’s 2023 report, 75% of pathologists would choose the medicine again, and 81% said they’d choose the same specialty again.

Still, according to the same report, only 51% of pathologists feel fairly compensated.

With demand in the specialty on the rise, you can now have more leverage when negotiating your pay.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about the average pathologist’s salary and how to ensure you’re paid correctly for your work.

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Key Takeaways

 

• Pathology reports a high level of job satisfaction; 81% of people would choose pathology again.
• The average salary in the US for pathologists is around $339,000 per year.
• Regional demand varies, with the North Central and Southeast paying more and Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions paying the least.
• Independent laboratories pay the highest, followed by non-academic and then academic hospitals.
• Around 57% of pathologists earn bonuses, averaging about $60,000.

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What Is a Pathologist’s Salary?

The average pathologist salary in the United States is $339,000, according to Medscape’s 2023 report. As mentioned earlier, only half of pathologists feel that this payment is fair.

Here are the average salaries according to other sources online:

• Salary.com: $307,803
• ZipRecruiter: $249,001 (ZipRecruiter results calculate base salary without incentives or bonuses)
• Glassdoor: $389,000 (with a minimum of $208,000 per year)

Related:The Three Biggest Financial Mistakes New Doctors Make

Factors That Affect a Pathologist’s Salary

Many factors contribute to how much a pathologist can earn, whether this means salary, bonuses, or incentive compensation. This section will break these down.

Years of Experience

As with any specialty in the medical field, you will earn only a fraction of your final salary while in residency. Thereafter, your payment increases in increments as your education and knowledge increase.

The opposite of this rule also occurs; pay starts to diminish slightly later in your career because with aging comes a decrease in energy used in the work field.

According to the College of Pathologists, this decline in earnings begins after the pathologist has been practicing for about 30+ years.

Location

Additionally, some regions of the United States have a higher demand for pathologists, causing pathologists to earn more. These areas are the North Central and Southeast states.

Pathologists earn lower pay in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

According to 2024’s data, the top 10 paying states are:

State	Average Salary
New York	$295,783
Pennsylvania	$270,844
New Hampshire	$264,847
New Jersey	$260,831
Wyoming	$258,014
Washington	$257,664
Wisconsin	$255,817
Massachusetts	$255,810
Alaska	$255,139
Oregon	$253,073

Meanwhile, the lowest-paid 10 states are:

State	Average Salary
Idaho	$213,358
Louisiana	$213,222
Oklahoma	$212,911
Texas	$211,535
North Carolina	$210,648
West Virginia	$209,177
Kentucky	$202,844
Michigan	$202,373
Florida	$198,416
Arkansas	$192,507

Note: All of these results don’t consider the bonuses and incentives. As such, they may not reflect the accurate payment correctly. The payment may also change if you’re working for a private clinic/business.

Type of Practice

Perhaps the most considerable difference in the average salary range is from practice to practice.

Accordingly, the area where a pathologist earns the lowest compensation is in an academic hospital. A non-academic hospital will pay its pathologists slightly higher.

Moreover, the practice that pays pathologists the most is independent laboratories. They also offer top benefits along with a higher salary.

You also have the option of working at a private practice as a solo practitioner or a partner, or in a group practice.

Being part of a group practice would likely increase your take-home income. They declared a much lower percentage of their revenue going to overhead expenses on Medscape’s compensation report.

Whatever type of practice you operate, you need income protection. Read our guide to Disability Insurance for Physicians.

Side Income

Around 57% of pathologists claimed that they earned bonuses and incentive compensation on top of their base salary. This extra income reported was an average of almost $60,000.

This is a substantial increase in income and shows that pathologists earn more based on good performance and employer satisfaction.

See also:How Female Physicians Can Counteract the Gender Pay Gap.

Subspecialties for Pathologist Jobs

Subspecialty	Average Salary
Forensic Pathology	$97,922
Pediatric Pathology	$307,000
Cytopathology	$173,000
Neuropathology	$218,627+
Dermatopathology	$233,500

A pathologist is trained in clinical or anatomical pathology. Within these two groups are subspecialties with a wide range of job descriptions.

Depending on your job title, you can expect a different average annual salary. The actual predicted income for these subspecialties is hard to find because they are so specialized.

This list can give you a bit of insight into what a typical workday consists of and the market trends of each subspecialty.

Forensic Pathology

According to PayScale, entry-level forensic pathologists make an average of $97,922 annually.

The best way to consider a mid-range salary in forensic pathology is the same as for pay in all subspecialties. Remember that most jobs will be government-related and well-structured.

Pediatric Pathology

Most pediatric pathologists work at academic institutions, and their pay varies widely.

Salary.com shows that pediatric pathologists earn an annual average of about $307,000. Those with more experience can earn more, with the 90th percentile in the $400,000 range.

Interested in other pediatric subspecialties? Check outHow to Make the Most of a Dermatologist’s Salary

Cytopathology*

Listed among the most in-demand pathological careers, cytopathologists can make in the higher spectrum of the annual salary range of all pathologist subspecialties, with an average annual base pay of about $173,000.

Neuropathology

About a quarter of neuropathologists start out making more than $218,627 per year, according to Salary.com. The average median is $287,963.

That’s a pretty healthy financial start to your career, and your earnings will only increase as you gain more experience.

Dermatopathology*

According to Glassdoor, a dermatopathologist’s income has been reported as high as $304,000, with an average pay of $233,500, which is comparable to MOHS surgeons and the higher end of clinical dermatologists.

*Denotes most in-demand pathology specialties

Other Factors to Consider

Here are some things to consider and make the most out of your pathologist salary:

Look Over Your Employment Contract

Before accepting any job position, you need to look over the contract carefully. Some areas outside of your salary may have a drastic effect on your ability to increase your wealth.

Negotiations depend on several factors, like the setting of your practice.

Consider the following before making any commitments:

• For private practice, you would want to negotiate a substantial signing bonus and partnership opportunity in the future.
• In a hospital environment, you can increase your income capabilities by participating in clinical laboratory operations.
• Finally, in an independent lab, the possibility of bonus pay is based on performance, quality control, and budget targets. If you consistently mark high in these areas, you’ll find that your total compensation ranks way above the national average.

We offer that here at Physicians Thrive. Allow us to help with your contract negotiation to ensure that you are getting what you’re worth.

Building a Retirement From Your Annual Salary

A critical area of financial health for any physician is to begin saving for retirement as soon as you can and with the best options.

Pathologists have different options depending on where they work, whether in private practice or as an employee.

Employed Pathologist

Furthermore, qualified retirement plans for employed pathologists allow them to accumulate tax-free retirement funds. These include a 401k and a 403b.

The 401k is offered by a for-profit company to its employees, while a non-profit employer offers a 403b.

Private Practice Pathologists

Qualified retirement plans for private practice pathologists allow contributions to these plans to be fully tax-deductible.

These include:

• Profit-Sharing Plans: These plans give each private practice employee or partner a portion of the annual profits to add to their retirement fund.
• Money Purchase Plans: Each contribution is a fixed number instead of dependent on profit amounts.
• Defined Benefit Plans: These are created using a predetermined formula by the practice based on several factors. The retirement fund can only be accessed according to the timing determined by the plan.

Both

Both employed and private practice pathologists can take advantage of retirement plans like the traditional IRA and Roth IRA.

You can also use a life insurance retirement plan and investment opportunities to set you up for financial independence. Some viable investments are HSA and commercial real estate.

Related: Retirement Accounts – Should I or Should I Not Rollover?

Final Thoughts

A pathologist has many options in their career that significantly determine how much they earn. The numbers show that in all respects, pathologists with a subspecialty are not only in higher demand but make more money.

Whatever path you choose, we can help you negotiate your salary and benefits correctly and help you plan for your financial future. Contact Physicians Thrive today to learn more.

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