Overview
Pathology is a 4-year residency landing around $300K. PSLF fit bifurcates cleanly: academic pathologists qualify easily; private-lab pathologists usually do not.
Physician salary & compensation
Median salary
$300K
Range
$260K – $370K
Source
MGMA 2025 / Doximity 2025
Residency training timeline
Training years
4y
PGY-1 salary
$65K
Annual growth
2.0%
Fellowship
Optional
Not baked into training
Most pathology trainees follow a 4-year track. PGY-1 pay starts around $65K with roughly 2.0% annual raises.
PSLF & forgiveness strategy
Academic and hospital-employed pathologists qualify; LabCorp / Quest / private-group pathologists usually do not.
Our pick · Academic: PSLF. Private lab: refinance.
Repayment recommendation
Academic path programs are PSLF-qualifying and easy to predict. Private-lab jobs at for-profit entities are not — refinancing to ~4% with aggressive payoff wins that case.
Run your numbers for PathologyKey takeaways
- Fellowship (e.g. hemepath, cytopath) adds 1 year — often required for competitive jobs
- Private lab compensation climbs quickly after year 1 — aggressive payoff realistic
- Academic path starting salary is at the lower end of the $260K-$370K band
Ready to model your debt strategy?
Compare PSLF, refinancing, and aggressive payoff for your Pathology scenario — pre-filled with the salary and training defaults from this page.
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