Colleges by Location
Colleges by Fields of Study
Colleges by Tuition Range
Colleges by GPA Range
College by SAT Range
Colleges by ACT Score
Graduate Schools by Location
Graduate Schools by Fields of Study
Graduate School by Degree Type
Paying for Graduate School
Online Graduate Programs
Test Preparation
Career Planning
College Planning
Graduate School Planning
Applying to Graduate School
- More
| Median Wage (USD, 2024) | Projected Job Openings (2023-2033) | Projected Growth (2023-2033) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Statistics | $>=$239,200 | 400 | 5.5% |
| State Statistics | - | - | - |
| City Statistics | - | - | - |
Experience Requirements Overview
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Education, Training and Experience
Required Level of Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Related Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months
Detailed Work Activities
- Testify at legal or legislative proceedings.
- Analyze medical data to determine cause of death.
- Manage healthcare operations.
- Maintain medical or professional knowledge.
- Develop health assessment methods or programs.
Work Values
Independence
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement
Working Conditions
Recognition
Relationships
Support
Tasks
- Examine microscopic samples to identify diseases or other abnormalities.
- Diagnose diseases or study medical conditions, using techniques such as gross pathology, histology, cytology, cytopathology, clinical chemistry, immunology, flow cytometry, or molecular biology.
- Write pathology reports summarizing analyses, results, and conclusions.
- Communicate pathologic findings to surgeons or other physicians.
- Identify the etiology, pathogenesis, morphological change, and clinical significance of diseases.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in pathology.
- Consult with physicians about ordering and interpreting tests or providing treatments.
- Analyze and interpret results from tests, such as microbial or parasite tests, urine analyses, hormonal assays, fine needle aspirations (FNAs), and polymerase chain reactions (PCRs).
- Review cases by analyzing autopsies, laboratory findings, or case investigation reports.
- Manage medical laboratories.
- Develop or adopt new tests or instruments to improve diagnosis of diseases.
- Educate physicians, students, and other personnel in medical laboratory professions, such as medical technology, cytotechnology, or histotechnology.
- Plan and supervise the work of the pathology staff, residents, or visiting pathologists.
- Perform autopsies to determine causes of deaths.
- Diagnose infections, such as Hepatitis B and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), by conducting tests to detect the antibodies that patients' immune systems make to fight such infections.
- Obtain specimens by performing procedures, such as biopsies or fine needle aspirations (FNAs) of superficial nodules.
- Conduct genetic analyses of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or chromosomes to diagnose small biopsies and cell samples.
- Conduct research and present scientific findings.
- Testify in depositions or trials as an expert witness.
Work Styles
Achievement/Effort
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Persistence
Initiative
Leadership
Cooperation
Concern for Others
Social Orientation
Self-Control
Stress Tolerance
Adaptability/Flexibility
Dependability
Attention to Detail
Integrity
Independence
Innovation
Analytical Thinking
Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 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. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.