Careers, task by task
Pathology
Diagnosing disease from tissue and lab results, often behind the scenes, with decisions that steer treatment.
- Training
- College, four years of medical school, then a residency of 3 or more years
- Today's median pay, May 2025
- $312,400
- Projected job growth, 2025 to 2035
- Not verified yet
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Last modified August 27, 2026
Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physicians and Surgeons
Scope: United States.
How it was done: Federal employment and wage statistics. Pay is the May 2025 median, half earn more and half earn less. Growth is a 2025 to 2035 projection.
Limits: A median across all ages, regions and employers, before tax. A projection, not a promise. It tells you nothing about one person's income. The outlook text on this page names aging and chronic illness as demand drivers, and does not mention AI.
Checked against the original on November 6, 2026.
Open the source (opens in a new tab)A snapshot of people practicing today, not a forecast of your income.
The work, and what we can verify about AI in it
Task lists are our editorial summary of what the role involves. They vary by setting. The status describes the evidence we've checked, not whether a job is safe.
Reading prostate biopsies
Information work
Narrow use or authorization
- Established now
FDA authorized Paige Prostate in 2021 to help pathologists after their first review. Its output should not be used as the primary diagnosis. In a study of 16 pathologists, FDA estimated a 7.3% improvement in sensitivity per biopsy.
What this does not prove: An aid, for one cancer. FDA says the benefit per patient would likely be substantially lower.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, September 21, 2021
De Novo DEN200080: Paige Prostate
Scope: U.S. A reader study of 16 pathologists.
How it was done: FDA's review. Pathologists read slides without, then with, the tool.
Limits: An aid after a pathologist's first review, for one cancer. FDA says the benefit per patient would likely be substantially lower than per biopsy.
Checked against the original on November 6, 2026.
Open the source (opens in a new tab)
Final diagnosis on difficult cases
Judgment and accountability
Insufficient evidence
Insufficient evidence. We haven't verified a solid source on AI in this task yet. That's different from evidence that nothing is happening. If you know of one, send it to us.
Running and overseeing the laboratory
Judgment and accountability
Insufficient evidence
Insufficient evidence. We haven't verified a solid source on AI in this task yet. That's different from evidence that nothing is happening. If you know of one, send it to us.
Advising treatment teams
Human relationship
Insufficient evidence
Insufficient evidence. We haven't verified a solid source on AI in this task yet. That's different from evidence that nothing is happening. If you know of one, send it to us.
Skills that transfer
- Disease biology
- Quality systems
- Data and informatics
- Research
What nobody has measured
- How much digital pathology has actually spread.
- BLS growth for pathologists, which we have not verified.
Read next
Sources last checked November 6, 2026
Next review by February 6, 2027.
What changed, and how we decideCareer guidance, not medical, legal or financial advice. For a major loan or licensing decision, talk with a qualified professional, and bring your questions from here.
Do you disagree?
If you have counterevidence, or we got something wrong, we want to see it. Don't take our word for any of this.
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