What do they do?

Provide medical care related to pregnancy or childbirth. Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases of women, particularly those affecting the reproductive system. May also provide general care to women. May perform both medical and gynecological surgery functions.

Also known as:

GYN (Gynecologist), MD (Medical Doctor), OB (Obstetrician), OB/GYN (Obstetrician Gynecologist), OB/GYN Physician (Obstetrics and Gynecology Physician), OB/GYN Physician (Obstetrics Gynecology Physician), OBGYN (Obstetrician and Gynecologist), OBGYN Doctor (Obstetrics and Gynecology Doctor), OBGYN MD (Obstetrics Gynecology Medical Doctor), OBGYN Physician (Obstetrician and Gynecologist Physician), Physician, Physician GYN (Physician Gynecologist), Physician OB (Physician Obstetrician)

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (SOC 2018) is projected to grow 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, more slowly than average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment in VA

No Data Available
  • 2.2%

    Change

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    700

    Job Openings

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Best colleges for Obstetricians and Gynecologists

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (100%)
  • Master's degree  (<1%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (<1%)
  • Associate's degree  (<1%)
  • Some college, no degree  (<1%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (<1%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (<1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Select Type of Degree:

  • #1
    • Degrees Granted

      14,127
    • Female Students

      9,080
    • Male Students

      5,047
    • Median Starting Salary

      $38,300
  • #2
    • Degrees Granted

      11,997
    • Female Students

      7,473
    • Male Students

      4,524
    • Median Starting Salary

      $38,300
  • #3
    • Degrees Granted

      5,368
    • Female Students

      4,593
    • Male Students

      775
    • Median Starting Salary

      $57,500
  • #4
    • Degrees Granted

      2,314
    • Female Students

      2,121
    • Male Students

      193
    • Median Starting Salary

      $38,300
  • #5
    • Degrees Granted

      601
    • Female Students

      532
    • Male Students

      69
    • Median Starting Salary

      $57,500

People in this career often have these skills:

  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
  • Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
  • Care for women during pregnancy and childbirth.
  • Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
  • Operate on patients to treat conditions.
  • Collect medical information from patients, family members, or other medical professionals.
  • Record patient medical histories.
  • Explain medical procedures or test results to patients or family members.
  • Administer non-intravenous medications.
  • Prescribe treatments or therapies.
  • Prescribe medications.
  • Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
  • Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
  • Advise medical personnel regarding healthcare issues.
  • Refer patients to other healthcare practitioners or health resources.
  • Supervise patient care personnel.
  • Provide health and wellness advice to patients, program participants, or caregivers.
  • Advise communities or institutions regarding health or safety issues.
  • Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
  • Design public or employee health programs.
  • Direct healthcare delivery programs.
  • Prepare official health documents or records.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

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