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Job title · SOC 29-1229

VA Physician

Also known as: va doctor

01

Overview

Sourced

All physicians not listed separately.

O*NET definition of Physicians, All Other (SOC 29-1229).

64,400
in government (SOC 29-1229)
19%
of this occupation works for government
$269,550
median pay in government
Federal
levels of government
How people usually get in Editorial
MD + VA physician pay tables. Requirements vary by employer; each employer page will list its exact rules.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership; U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database; GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial). Data captured September 30, 2026.

02

Requirements

Sourced
Typical entry requirements (BLS, SOC 29-1229)
Education needed to enter
Doctoral or professional degree
Related work experience
None
On-the-job training
Internship/residency

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

03

How to get hired

Sourced

Physicians and surgeons typically need a bachelor's degree as well as a medical degree, which takes an additional 4 years to complete. Depending on their specialty, they also need 3 to 9 years in internship and residency programs. Subspecialization includes additional training in a fellowship of 1 to 3 years.

From the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile “Physicians and Surgeons”, published August 27, 2026 · Read the full profile. National guidance; each employer runs its own hiring process.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–35 edition (XML compilation). Data captured September 30, 2026.

04

Academy and training

Sourced
Training to become competent (BLS)
SOC 29-1229
Internship/residency

Academy length, curriculum and paid-training policies are set by each employer and state; they are part of the employer collection stage.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

06

Promotion ladder

Editorial

Federal grade and step: federal grade × step (GS/FWS/agency bands: FAA ATC, TSA SV, VA nurse, LEO special rates). Typical structure for a federal general schedule; titles, steps and timing differ by employer.

  1. GS-5/7 entry (Pathways / recent grad)
  2. Career-ladder promotions to full-performance level (GS-9/11/12/13)
  3. GS-14/15 (competitive)
  4. Senior Executive Service
  5. within-grade steps 1–10 (steps 2–4 yearly, 5–7 every 2 yrs, 8–10 every 3 yrs)
  6. special rates: LEO (LEAP 25%), FAA ATC AT-bands, TSA SV bands, VA Nurse I–V

Source: GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial).

07

Pay

Sourced
Federal
$291,060
State
$81,250
Local
$254,140
All government
$269,550
Private sector
$261,860

Median annual wage by employer type, national, May 2025. Federal includes the U.S. Postal Service; state and local include public schools and hospitals.

Employer typeWorkers10th pct.25thMedian75th90th
Federal36,140$225,580$256,800$291,060$340,790$382,120
State14,130$61,960$68,420$81,250$160,440$286,090
LocalNot published$70,310$79,750$254,140$368,990$441,280
All government64,400$69,610$120,580$269,550$339,190$386,150
Private sector278,320$69,090$101,600$261,860$390,690$462,410

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

13Derived
Community Health Worker
Same job family
Correctional Nurse
Same job family
Death Investigator / Coroner
Same job family
Epidemiologist
Same job family
Health Inspector / Environmental Health Specialist
Same job family
Psychiatric Technician (state hospitals)
Same job family
Public Health Nurse
Same job family
VA Nurse (Veterans Affairs)
Same job family
16

By state

Sourced

Median annual wage for Physicians, All Other (SOC 29-1229) in each state, all employers (BLS state estimates do not separate government from private). Highest first.

StateWorkers10th pct.Median90th pct.
North Dakota740$136,980$454,550$564,890
Montana580$236,960$438,850$442,330
Maine1,340$211,500$419,410$442,790
Wisconsin6,350$201,050$391,740$478,990
Minnesota5,350$75,280$367,320$468,570
Indiana6,760$130,110$366,190$462,610
New Hampshire1,000$131,710$361,300$412,590
Alaska270$203,020$355,100$524,990
Louisiana4,740$71,980$350,920$463,270
Oregon4,130$110,120$347,180$441,530
Vermont440$174,990$343,050$517,900
Wyoming440$156,000$342,800$466,750
Hawaii1,830$124,470$339,290$481,940
New Mexico1,930$135,220$327,670$449,310
Kentucky3,340$120,640$327,390$549,810
Arizona6,800$75,610$312,490$518,640
Washington6,300$95,230$307,170$424,410
Tennessee5,340$101,560$301,290$503,430
Idaho1,700$38,390$299,340$429,850
Colorado1,990$171,810$298,320$418,690
Delaware1,370$77,500$297,470$359,410
Ohio21,160$62,990$297,440$501,260
Iowa1,440$74,210$295,190$412,010
Nebraska1,170$80,370$290,470$456,210
New Jersey9,730$75,590$285,010$430,940
California25,530$80,590$281,590$431,980
Virginia8,480$103,490$278,530$417,070
South Carolina4,510$66,320$274,480$501,690
Alabama3,980$98,690$272,610$424,420
Texas30,720$60,600$269,800$457,450
Georgia8,580$82,350$266,880$457,060
Florida23,390$65,370$262,180$439,940
North Carolina14,080$66,740$260,330$424,760
Oklahoma2,520$58,130$259,220$421,200
West Virginia1,980$59,160$258,020$374,980
Nevada2,400$74,990$252,120$409,930
New York16,600$86,250$242,500$414,440
Massachusetts8,210$77,630$236,580$431,300
Rhode Island1,180$80,130$228,590$357,730
MississippiNot published$61,960$228,130$455,660
Utah3,510$82,330$228,060$442,310
Missouri3,990$67,070$227,980$435,150
Kansas5,230$67,750$221,540$451,910
Pennsylvania23,800$70,850$217,310$423,340
Connecticut4,700$85,910$214,990$430,830
Maryland10,340$74,230$212,080$401,890
Michigan13,150$63,990$155,480$465,930
Arkansas4,290$58,710$136,880$402,190
Illinois20,790$71,830$132,540$452,200
District of Columbia1,960$70,530$77,430$338,940

50 states with published estimates.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Not yet collected

These dimensions are part of every job page. We publish them only once they are sourced from official documents such as job postings, pay plans, union contracts and state standards.

  • 05 Probation
    Probation length and what ends it
    Not yet collected
  • 08 Schedule
    Shift patterns (24/48, 4/10, 5/8, split), seniority bidding, holidays, mandatory OT
    Not yet collected
  • 09 Benefits and pension
    Pension plan/tier and formula, retirement age/years, DROP, retiree health, Social Security coverage, 457(b), PSLF eligibility
    Not yet collected
  • 10 Union contracts
    Bargaining unit, union, current CBA (source link, effective dates)
    Not yet collected
  • 11 Transfers and lateral entry
    Lateral policy, certification reciprocity, lateral bonus, inter-agency moves
    Not yet collected
  • 12 Day-to-day work
    Sourced description; later: insider contributions (the wiki layer)
    Not yet collected
  • 14 Exam practice
    Named exams → OpenExamPrep practice
    Not yet collected
  • 15 Employer directory
    L4 directory: every employer that hires this job, each with its own facet values
    Not yet collected