Hospitalists

29-1229.02 Zone 5 — Extensive Preparation Needed

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.

Also known as: Academic Hospitalist, Consultant Physician, DO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician), Hospitalist, Hospitalist Medical Doctor (Hospitalist MD), Hospitalist Nocturnist Physician, Hospitalist Physician, Intensivist, ...

Annual Salary

$208,000+

Median annual wage (May 2024)

$95,080 25th – 75th percentile $208K+
10th percentile $66,860
90th percentile $208,000+
U.S. Employment: 315,360

Job Outlook

+2.5%

Projected growth, 2024–2034 (About average)

Annual Job Openings 9,600 per year (avg. 2024–2034)
Typical education: Doctoral or professional degree
On-the-job training: Internship/residency

What You'd Do

  • Refer patients to medical specialists, social services, or other professionals as appropriate.
  • Participate in continuing education activities to maintain or enhance knowledge and skills.
  • Direct, coordinate, or supervise the patient care activities of nursing or support staff.
  • Write patient discharge summaries and send them to primary care physicians.
  • Direct the operations of short stay or specialty units.
  • Train or supervise medical students, residents, or other health professionals.
  • Prescribe medications or treatment regimens to hospital inpatients.
  • Order or interpret the results of tests such as laboratory tests and radiographs (x-rays).
  • Attend inpatient consultations in areas of specialty.
  • Conduct discharge planning and discharge patients.

Top Skills

Reading Comprehension 4.1
Active Listening 4.1
Speaking 4.1
Judgment and Decision Making 4.1
Complex Problem Solving 4.1
Critical Thinking 4.1
Active Learning 4.1
Social Perceptiveness 4.1

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Knowledge Areas

Medicine and Dentistry 5.0
Biology 4.6
English Language 4.6
Psychology 4.3
Education and Training 4.0
Therapy and Counseling 4.0
Customer and Personal Service 3.8
Administration and Management 3.1

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level

Post-Doctoral
48%
Doctoral
40%
Professional
8%
Bachelor's
4%

Technology & Tools

Software and tools commonly used in this role

In-Demand Technologies

Epic Systems MEDITECH software Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Word

Other Tools

Billing software Computerized physician order entry CPOE software Electronic medical record EMR software Email software Epocrates Global positioning system GPS software MDeverywhere Medical decision support software Medical procedure coding software Medical reference software Voice recognition software Web browser software

Work Styles

Personality traits and work styles important for this career

3.0
Attention to Detail
2.9
Dependability
2.9
Stress Tolerance
2.8
Integrity
2.6
Cooperation
2.5
Cautiousness
2.3
Empathy

Key Abilities

Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role

Inductive Reasoning 4.5
Oral Comprehension 4.3
Written Comprehension 4.3
Oral Expression 4.3
Deductive Reasoning 4.1
Written Expression 4.0
Problem Sensitivity 4.0
Speech Clarity 4.0

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Work Activities

General types of job behaviors occurring on this job

Assisting and Caring for Others 4.8
Getting Information 4.8
Documenting/Recording Information 4.8
Making Decisions and Solving Problems 4.8
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates 4.8
Processing Information 4.7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge 4.6
Analyzing Data or Information 4.6

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Work Environment

Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work

Telephone Conversations
5.0
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
5.0
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
4.9
Frequency of Decision Making
4.9
Contact With Others
4.8
Exposed to Disease or Infections
4.8
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
4.8
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
4.8
E-Mail
4.6
Freedom to Make Decisions
4.6
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
4.6
Physical Proximity
4.5

Related Careers

Anesthesiologists
$208K+
Nurse Midwives
$129K
Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
$94K
Psychiatrists
$208K+
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
$208K+
Urologists
$208K+
Cardiologists
$208K+
Neurologists
$208K+
Pediatric Surgeons
$208K+
Acute Care Nurses
$94K

Is Hospitalists right for you?

Take our free career quiz to see how you match with this and 900+ other careers.

Take the Quiz

Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.