Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Hospitalists

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeHigh pressure

What they do

Provide inpatient care predominantly in settings such as medical wards, acute care units, intensive care units, rehabilitation centers, or emergency rooms. Manage and coordinate patient care throughout treatment.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $265,930 Median per year · $127.85/hr Most earn $69,170–$452,360

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Diagnose, treat, or provide continuous care to hospital inpatients.
  • Direct, coordinate, or supervise the patient care activities of nursing or support staff.
  • Direct the operations of short stay or specialty units.
  • Write patient discharge summaries and send them to primary care physicians.
  • Train or supervise medical students, residents, or other health professionals.
  • Direct or support quality improvement projects or safety programs.

Job outlook

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 9,400 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Offices of physicians42.1%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals27.8%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service10.5%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools5.8%
  • Self-employed (their own business)3.3%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Hospitalist is not an entry-level job. Most people need a bachelor's degree, four years of medical school, and residency training before they can practice, and many spend a few years as a general internist first. In total, that is usually about 11 to 15 years after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree (science or pre-med focus)

    4 years

    Build a strong foundation in biology, chemistry, and math, and keep your grades high, since medical schools look closely at them.

  2. Medical school (MD or DO)

    4 years

    Earn a doctoral degree in medicine, learning how diseases work and how to care for patients, then pass the licensing exams.

  3. Internal medicine residency

    3 years

    Train in hospitals and clinics under supervision, caring for adult patients with a wide range of illnesses. This prepares you for hospital-based work.

  4. General Internal Medicine Physician

    2-4 years

    Practice as a general internist, managing adult patients and gaining the experience that hospitalist jobs usually expect.

  5. Hospitalist

    Ongoing

    Care for hospitalized patients on medical wards and in other inpatient units, coordinating treatment and handing patients off to other doctors when they go home.

Where it can lead

  1. Hospitalist Medical Director

    5+ years of experience first

    Lead a hospitalist team by handling scheduling, quality improvement, and staff training, which adds leadership and management duties to your clinical work.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and mathThese classes build the base you will need for any medical path and show you whether you enjoy science.
  • Join a health occupations or science clubClubs like these teach basic medical knowledge and give you a chance to meet others who are interested in healthcare.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, clinic, or nursing homeTime spent around patients and staff shows you what hospital work is really like and looks good on future applications.
  • Look for a starter job in health careA part-time job as a front desk assistant at a clinic or a dental office helps you learn how health care settings run.
  • Ask a doctor for a job shadowTalk to a local physician about their day, especially if they work in a hospital, to learn about the career from someone who does it.

In college

  • Complete pre-med science coursesBiology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and statistics are typically required for medical school and build the knowledge you need.
  • Get certified as a patient care assistant or nursing assistantWorking directly with patients in a hospital or nursing home gives you real clinical experience and a sense of how inpatient care works.
  • Join a pre-health or pre-med student organizationThese groups often offer advising, guest speakers, and volunteer opportunities that help you plan your path.
  • Do undergraduate research with a science professorResearch shows you can work on problems carefully and is a common item medical schools look for.
  • Shadow hospitalists or internistsFollowing physicians through hospital rounds shows you how inpatient teams work and helps you decide if this specialty fits you.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask to shadow a doctor or a hospitalist team, if you can. Seeing a hospital day firsthand will show you whether this path fits you.
  • Get regular hands-on time with patients early, such as volunteering or working as a patient care assistant. Medical schools value this experience.
  • Pick a college major you enjoy and still meet the pre-med course requirements. Strong grades in any major can work, as long as you finish the required science classes.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

Related careers