Everything You Need to Know About Pediatrician Statistics in the U.S.
Learn about pediatricians' hours, subspecialties, the need for pediatric care, and pediatric medical waste disposal.
How many pediatricians are there in the United States?
In 2011, 91,915 physicians in the U.S. identified themselves as a pediatrician, pediatric medical subspecialist, pediatric surgical specialist or other pediatric-focused physician (American Medical Association Physician Masterfile).
| Group (2011) | Physicians |
|---|---|
| General pediatricians | 58,726 |
| Pediatric medical subspecialists, pediatric surgical specialists and other pediatric specialists | 28,374 |
| Physicians trained jointly in internal medicine and pediatrics | 4,703 |
Active physicians and the population they serve
The fewer physicians in a specialty, the more people each one serves. As published in MedPro's original infographic:
| Specialty | Active physicians | People per physician |
|---|---|---|
| Pediatrics | 58,435 | 1,479 |
| Pediatric hematology/oncology | 2,794 | 30,934 |
| Pediatric cardiology | 2,733 | 31,625 |
Hours spent seeing patients
In 2018, 67% of U.S. pediatricians spent 30 to 45 hours a week seeing patients (Statista).
What is Match Day?
The Match is the system that pairs residency candidates with residency programs for first- and second-year post-graduate positions accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) runs it.
| Share of offered positions filled | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Pediatrics (all positions) | 97.6% | 97.3% |
| Categorical pediatrics | 97.9% | 97.6% |
| Internal medicine–pediatrics | 98.7% | 98.2% |
Primary care, 2019
Of 32,194 first-year positions offered in the Match, 15,946 were in primary care specialties. 96.3% of those were filled, 45.6% of them by U.S. allopathic seniors.
Pediatrics, 2019
Pediatrics offered 2,847 categorical positions, 79 more than the year before, and filled 2,778 (97.6%). 1,715 of them (60.2%) went to U.S. allopathic seniors, a share that had declined every year since 2015.
What a pediatric office throws away
- Sharps. Needles and syringes from immunizations and lancets from finger sticks go straight into a closable, puncture-resistant, leakproof and labeled sharps container (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030).
- Regulated medical waste. Items with liquid or semi-liquid blood, or caked with dried blood, go in red-bag containers for pickup by a licensed hauler.
- Pharmaceutical waste. Expired or unused vaccines and medications are pharmaceutical waste, not red-bag waste, and follow their own disposal path.
Sources
- Pediatricians' patient hours per week in the U.S., 2018 — Statista
- Pediatrics fills 97.3% of positions on Match Day 2019 — AAP News
- The Match — American Academy of Family Physicians
- Bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 — Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- American Medical Association Physician Masterfile, 2011 (workforce counts)
Figures are from 2011 to 2019, as published in MedPro's original infographic; check the sources for current numbers. Last reviewed October 30, 2026.
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