Paediatricians
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Paediatricians investigate, diagnose and treat internal diseases and disorders in children from birth up to, and including, adolescence.
Specialisations: Neonatologist, Paediatric Thoracic Physician.
Medical practitioners need to undertake a fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians to become a Paediatrician.
Tasks
-
Examines patients to determine the nature and extent of problems after referral from general medical practitioners and other medical specialists, and undertakes laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures.
-
Analyses test results and other medical information to make diagnoses.
-
Prescribes and administers drugs, as well as remedial and therapeutic treatment and procedures.
-
Records medical information and data.
-
Reports specified contagious and notifiable diseases to government health and immigration authorities.
-
May admit or refer patients to hospitals.
-
May consult other medical specialists.
Characteristics
- 253311 Specialist Physicians (General Medicine)
- 253312 Cardiologists
- 253313 Clinical Haematologists
- 253314 Medical Oncologists
- 253315 Endocrinologists
- 253316 Gastroenterologists
- 253317 Intensive Care Specialists
- 253318 Neurologists
- 253321 Paediatricians
- 253322 Renal Medicine Specialists
- 253323 Rheumatologists
- 253324 Thoracic Medicine Specialists
- 253399 Other Specialist Physicians
-
University
-
Analytical
-
Helping
-
Sedentary
-
Light
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Specialist Physicians, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
-
Around 78% of people employed as Paediatricians work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 12 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 49 hours per week in their main job. This is 5 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.
Industries
Main industries
-
Most Paediatricians work in the Health care and social assistance industry.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Paediatricians | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 31.5 | 31.6 |
VIC | 26.3 | 25.6 |
QLD | 18.9 | 20.0 |
SA | 6.5 | 7.0 |
WA | 11.9 | 10.8 |
TAS | 1.7 | 2.0 |
NT | 1.5 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.6 | 1.9 |
-
Around 79% of Paediatricians live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Melbourne - Inner
- Perth - Inner
- Brisbane Inner City
- Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby
- Adelaide - Central and Hills.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
-
The median age of Paediatricians is 41 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.
Females make up 60% of the workforce. This is 12 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Paediatricians | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 0.2 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 26.3 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 34.4 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 21.0 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 6.6 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 5.1 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 6.4 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 41 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
Medical practitioners need to undertake a fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians to become a Paediatrician.
Registration with the Medical Board of Australia is required.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Paediatricians | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 51.2 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 48.7 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 0.0 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 0.0 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 0.2 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 0.0 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 0.0 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Specialist Physicians who are caring, compassionate, empathetic and work well in a team.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
71%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
-
63%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
63%
ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
-
61%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
61%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
59%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
57%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
57%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
-
57%
SpeakingTalking to others.
-
57%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
-
55%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
-
55%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
-
55%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
54%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
52%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
48%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
46%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
46%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
45%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
43%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
84%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
82%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
75%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
71%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
70%
BiologyPlant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
68%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
63%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
59%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
55%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
54%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
51%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
51%
ChemistryChemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
43%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
43%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
42%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
40%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
39%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
38%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
33%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
20%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
-
77%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
75%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
71%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
-
70%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
-
68%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
-
66%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
-
61%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
57%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
57%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
52%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
-
48%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
48%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
48%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
46%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
-
46%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
-
45%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
-
45%
Speed of recognitionQuickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
43%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
41%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
-
39%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
78%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
75%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
75%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
75%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
72%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
67%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
66%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
61%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
58%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
55%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
54%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
-
54%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
54%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
53%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
53%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
50%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
47%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
46%
Guiding and directing staffGuiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
-
45%
Coordinating the work of a teamGetting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
39%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
100%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
86%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
48%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
43%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
38%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
33%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
Values
-
95%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
95%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
95%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
90%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
86%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
67%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Demands
-
99%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
95%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
93%
Disease or infectionBe exposed to disease or infections.
-
93%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
93%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
91%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
-
91%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
-
90%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
88%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
88%
Responsible for outcomesTake responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
87%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
-
87%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
87%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
85%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
-
83%
Consequence of errorWork where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
82%
Health and safety of othersTake responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
80%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
-
80%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
80%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
-
73%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 29-1065.00 - Pediatricians, General.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
-
Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.