Healthcare Insights
Average age of doctors and providers by medical specialty
The ongoing healthcare provider shortage is caused by a variety of factors, including increasing burnout rates among medical professionals and a provider workforce that is rapidly aging toward retirement. Effects to patient care and service accessibility are just a couple of long-term impacts healthcare staffing shortages may have in the coming years.
What is the average age of a physician?
We analyzed more than 810,000 healthcare providers tracked in the Definitive Healthcare PhysicianView product with a reported birth year. The average age of these providers is 54.4 years old as of 2025. Data in this analysis is sourced from a number of sources including proprietary research, the NPI Registry, and Physician Compare.
In comparison, the median age of the U.S. labor force is 41.8 years old.
Knowing which specialties may face staffing pressures before others can help recruiting firms better place doctors where they are needed most. And understanding the demographic characteristics of a medical specialty can help life science organizations better reach certain audiences.
The following tables list the highest and lowest average ages, or the oldest and youngest doctors, by their medical specialty. Our analysis included nearly 820,000 providers across more than 110 medical specialties.
| Rank | Medical specialty | Average age | Number of providers with birth year | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surgery - Orthopedic Spine Surgery | 62 | 293 | Explore |
| 2 | Pathology - Cytopathology | 62 | 103 | Explore |
| 3 | Cardiology - Cardiac Surgery | 59 | 1,121 | Explore |
| 4 | Adult Medicine | 59 | 312 | Explore |
| 5 | Adolescent Medicine | 58 | 1,690 | Explore |
| 6 | Radiology - Nuclear Medicine | 58 | 583 | Explore |
| 7 | Radiology - Neuroradiology | 57 | 157 | Explore |
| 8 | General Practice | 57 | 2,085 | Explore |
| 9 | Obstetrics/Gynecology - Maternal & Fetal Medicine | 57 | 1,021 | Explore |
| 10 | Occupational Medicine | 56 | 750 | Explore |
Fig. 1. Data is from the Definitive Healthcare PhysicianView product and sourced from proprietary research, the NPI Registry and Physician Compare. Only specialties with at least 100 providers reporting a birth year are included. Accessed March 2025.
Which medical specialties have the oldest doctors?
Orthopedic spine surgeons and cytopathologists are 62 years old on average, according to reported data, making these the specialties with the oldest doctors in this analysis. Cardiac surgeons and adult medicine providers have the second oldest average age at 59 years old.
| Rank | Medical specialty | Average age | Number of providers with birth year | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitalist | 45 | 28,990 | Explore |
| 2 | Sports Medicine | 47 | 1,885 | Explore |
| 3 | Hospice and Palliative Care | 47 | 2,016 | Explore |
| 4 | Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine | 47 | 227 | Explore |
| 5 | Critical Care (Intensivists) - Pediatric | 48 | 2,382 | Explore |
| 6 | Anesthesiology - Pediatric Anesthesiologist | 48 | 818 | Explore |
| 7 | Rheumatology - Pediatric | 48 | 383 | Explore |
| 8 | Rehabilitation Medicine - Pediatric | 48 | 141 | Explore |
| 9 | Emergency Medicine | 49 | 49,052 | Explore |
| 10 | Emergency Medicine - Pediatric | 49 | 2,640 | Explore |
Fig. 2 Data is from the Definitive Healthcare PhysicianView product and sourced from proprietary research, the NPI Registry, and Physician Compare. Only specialties with at least 100 providers reporting a birth year are included. Accessed March 2025.
Which medical specialties have the youngest doctors and providers?
Hospitalists are the youngest doctors in our analysis with an average age of 45 years old, the lowest on the list of specialties. Sports medicine, hospice and palliative care, and osteopathic manipulative medicine providers are the next youngest on average, with an average age of 47 years old.
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