The highest-paying Pediatrics position in America offers $475,000 to $500,000 annually in Saint Louis, Missouri—a city where a four-bedroom house costs less than a studio in Boston. The national market currently lists 603 Pediatrics positions spanning 49 states and territories, with compensation ranging from $140,000 to $500,000 and an average band of $226,712 to $269,471. The data reveals a market where geography matters more than volume, where coastal prestige often pays less than Midwest practicality, and where nearly three-quarters of employers still decline to disclose what they’re willing to pay.
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The Pediatrics Job Market at a Glance
The Pediatrics market includes 603 total listings, of which 149 (24.7%) disclose salary data. Compensation spans $140,000 to $500,000, with the national average range sitting at $226,712 to $269,471. Most positions cluster in the $200,000 to $300,000 band, establishing that range as the practical benchmark for full-time work.
The spread is wide but not wild. The floor reflects part-time roles, underserved rural markets testing the bottom, or positions bundled with loan repayment that soften the base salary. The ceiling is dominated by a handful of Missouri listings that distort the upper range—remove Saint Louis and the top contracts drop to the low $300,000s. The average range is where the market actually lives: competitive enough to sustain a middle-class physician lifestyle in most regions, but rarely extravagant.
Listings were identified in California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Washington, North Dakota, Missouri, Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, Oklahoma, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, South Carolina, Utah, Tennessee, South Dakota, West Virginia, Kentucky, New Mexico, Montana, New Hampshire, Virginia, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Alabama, Rhode Island, Arkansas, Northern Mariana Islands, Nebraska, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Nevada, Hawaii, Ohio, Maryland, Louisiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Arizona, and Colorado.
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How States Stack Up
Overperformers: Missouri leads the nation with an average range of $482,500 to $495,000, driven by two Saint Louis listings that redefine what Pediatrics can pay. Maine averages $287,500 to $312,500 across two listings, placing it well above the national midpoint in a low-volume, high-value market. North Dakota averages $292,000 at both ends of its range across three listings, suggesting uniform premium pricing in an underserved region. Washington averages $256,444 to $307,498 across eight listings, combining Pacific Northwest appeal with compensation that exceeds the national average. Oklahoma averages $258,333 (flat range) across three listings, a quiet overperformer in a state often overlooked.
Near-average performers: California averages $235,607 to $284,245 across 56 salary-reporting listings, placing it squarely in the national midrange despite its dominance in listing volume. Illinois averages $217,357 to $266,143 across 14 listings, performing near the national mean in a high-cost urban market. New York averages $205,813 to $257,492 across 15 listings, slightly below the national average despite the state’s reputation and cost of living. Connecticut averages $216,250 to $255,000 across four listings, tracking near the national baseline. Ohio averages $215,625 to $253,750 across eight listings, a reliable mid-market benchmark. Arizona averages $244,000 to $293,000 across two listings, performing slightly above average in a growing Sun Belt market. Minnesota averages $217,500 to $302,500 across two listings, showing a wide internal range but landing near the national mean on the low end. Wisconsin averages $270,400 to $280,800 based on a single listing, suggesting strong compensation but limited sample size. Colorado averages $223,446 to $274,810 based on one listing, near the national midpoint.
Underperformers: New Jersey averages $186,875 to $196,875 across eight listings, among the lowest in the nation despite the state’s high cost of living and proximity to New York City. Massachusetts averages $193,563 to $222,063 across eight listings, a disappointing showing for a state with Boston’s reputation and housing costs. Louisiana averages $180,000 to $201,667 across three listings, well below the national average in a state with limited market competition. Hawaii averages $176,500 to $253,000 across two listings, with a low-end figure that fails to offset the state’s extreme cost of living. Florida averages $175,000 to $250,000 across four listings, underperforming relative to its listing volume and population base. Nevada averages $190,000 to $230,000 across two listings, below the national mean despite the state’s no-income-tax advantage. Maryland averages $190,000 to $200,000 based on one listing, a surprisingly low figure for a Mid-Atlantic state adjacent to Washington, D.C.
Volume leaders: California leads all states with 100 listings, followed by Texas with 36, New York with 35, Florida with 26, Georgia with 22, and North Carolina with 19. Texas, North Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, Oregon, and Pennsylvania—all high-volume states—provided zero salary data in their listings. California, despite its dominant listing count, pays near the national average. Missouri, with only nine listings, offers the highest average compensation in the country, proving that volume and pay often move in opposite directions.
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What This Means If You’re a Physician
If your priority is maximum compensation: Missouri is the answer. The highest-paying listing in the nation is in Saint Louis, offering $475,000 to $500,000 annually. No other market comes close. Maine and North Dakota also deliver premium pay in smaller markets, with Maine averaging $287,500 to $312,500 and North Dakota at $292,000. These are not coastal, high-prestige markets—they are underserved regions pricing in scarcity and need.
If your priority is maximum optionality: California offers 100 listings, the most in the nation, with mid-range pay averaging $235,607 to $284,245. Texas provides 36 listings but discloses no salary data, making it a volume leader with zero compensation transparency. New York offers 35 listings with below-average pay ($205,813 to $257,492), a cost-of-living mismatch worth scrutinizing.
If your priority is balance: Washington combines strong compensation ($256,444 to $307,498) with 18 listings and a desirable geographic setting. Illinois and Ohio offer near-average pay with reasonable listing volume (23 and 17 listings, respectively) and lower costs of living than coastal peers. Arizona provides above-average pay ($244,000 to $293,000) in a growing market, though only two listings reported salary data.
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What This Means If You’re a Recruiter
The salary transparency rate is 24.7% (149 listings with data divided by 603 total listings). That means three-quarters of Pediatrics employers are asking candidates to apply blind, a strategy that works only when demand exceeds supply—or when employers are unwilling to compete on compensation.
For candidate pipeline implications, this is a problem. Physicians in high-demand specialties increasingly filter by disclosed salary before applying. States like Texas, North Carolina, Michigan, and Pennsylvania—each with double-digit listing counts and zero salary transparency—are likely losing qualified candidates to competitors who lead with numbers. Missouri, with only nine listings but full transparency on its top-tier roles, is likely converting at a higher rate.
Volume-pay misalignments are stark. California leads in volume but pays at the national average. Florida, the fourth-highest volume state, underperforms on compensation. New Jersey and Massachusetts—both high-cost states—pay below the national mean. Recruiters in these markets will need to lead with lifestyle, prestige, or non-monetary benefits, because the salary data will not close the deal. Missouri and Maine, by contrast, can lead with compensation and let the numbers do the work.
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What’s Driving the Numbers
Underserved markets price in scarcity: Missouri, Maine, and North Dakota—none of which rank among the top ten states by population—lead the nation in Pediatrics compensation. This is not an accident. Rural and frontier markets with limited physician supply must pay a premium to attract talent, and the data confirms they are doing so. Saint Louis, despite its modest cost of living, offers compensation that rivals or exceeds what coastal academic centers pay their department chairs. Scarcity is a pricing lever, and these markets are pulling it hard.
Volume and pay move in opposite directions: California, Texas, and New York—the three highest-volume states—either pay at the national average or decline to disclose salary entirely. Missouri, with only nine listings, offers the highest average compensation in the country. This inverse relationship suggests that high-volume markets rely on non-monetary appeal (weather, culture, prestige) to attract candidates, while low-volume markets must compete on dollars. Physicians should read volume as a signal of competition, not opportunity.
Coastal prestige does not command a premium: New York averages $205,813 to $257,492. Massachusetts averages $193,563 to $222,063. New Jersey averages $186,875 to $196,875. All three are below the national average, and all three are high-cost-of-living states with major academic medical centers. The data suggests that employers in these markets are either relying on prestige to offset below-market pay, or they are mispricing the labor market. Either way, Pediatricians moving to these states should expect to earn less in absolute terms and significantly less in real purchasing power.
Part-time roles and scope variability distort the floor: The $140,000 floor is almost certainly driven by part-time roles, subspecialty fellowships, or positions with significant loan repayment or benefits that reduce base salary. The lowest disclosed listings—$150,000 in Mission Viejo and Rialto, California—are outliers within California’s own range. These figures should not be read as representative of full-time, general Pediatrics compensation. The practical floor for full-time work is closer to $200,000, and anything below that warrants scrutiny of scope, hours, and total compensation structure.
The Bottom Line
The Pediatrics job market is geographically diverse, moderately competitive, and frustratingly opaque. Compensation is highest in underserved markets that price in scarcity, lowest in coastal states that overestimate their own appeal, and near-average in the Midwest and Mountain West. High-volume states do not pay premiums. Prestige does not command a salary advantage. And three-quarters of employers still refuse to disclose what they’re willing to pay, a strategy that benefits no one except competitors who do.
If you want to maximize earnings, go to Missouri or Maine. If you want options, go to California or Texas and prepare to negotiate blind. If you want balance, go to Washington or Arizona and accept that you will not get rich, but you will get paid fairly.
The Pediatrics job market rewards geographic flexibility more than clinical reputation. Choose accordingly.
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Salary data based on 149 listings with disclosed compensation. Figures may reflect part-time or specialized roles. This report is informational and should not replace professional judgment or financial planning.
