Podiatrists held about 10,500 jobs in 2018. The largest employers of podiatrists were as follows:
| Offices of other health practitioners | 63% |
| Offices of physicians | 10 |
| Federal government, excluding postal service | 9 |
| Self-employed workers | 7 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 6 |
Podiatrists’ offices are included in offices of other healthcare practitioners.
Some podiatrists work in group practices with other physicians or specialists. Podiatrists may work closely with physicians and surgeons, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and medical assistants.
Work Schedules
Most podiatrists work full time. Podiatrists’ offices may be open in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate patients. Self-employed podiatrists or those who own their practice may set their own hours. In hospitals, podiatrists may have to work occasional nights or weekends, or may be on call.
Podiatrists must earn a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree and complete a 3-year residency program. Every state requires podiatrists to be licensed.
Education
Podiatrists must have a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree from an accredited college of podiatric medicine. A DPM degree program takes 4 years to complete. In 2017, there were 9 colleges of podiatric medicine accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education .
Admission to podiatric medicine programs requires at least 3 years of undergraduate education, including specific courses in laboratory sciences such as biology, chemistry, and physics, as well as general coursework in subjects such as English. In practice, nearly all prospective podiatrists earn a bachelor’s degree before attending a college of podiatric medicine. Admission to DPM programs requires taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
Courses for a DPM degree are similar to those for other medical degrees. They include anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology, among other subjects. During their last 2 years, podiatric medical students gain supervised experience by completing clinical rotations.
Training
After earning a DPM, podiatrists must apply to and complete a 3-year podiatric medicine and surgery residency (PMSR) program. Residency programs take place in hospitals and provide both medical and surgical experience.
Podiatrists may complete additional training in specific fellowship areas, such as podiatric wound care or diabetic foot care, among others.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Podiatrists in every state must be licensed. Podiatrists must pay a fee and pass all parts of the American Podiatric Medical Licensing Exam (APMLE) , offered by the National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners. Some states also require podiatrists to take a state-specific exam.
Many podiatrists choose to become board certified. Certification generally requires a combination of work experience and passing an exam. Board certification is offered by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery , the American Board of Podiatric Medicine , and the American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry .
Podiatrists typically have an interest in the Building, Thinking and Helping interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Building interest area indicates a focus on working with tools and machines, and making or fixing practical things. The Thinking interest area indicates a focus on researching, investigating, and increasing the understanding of natural laws. The Helping interest area indicates a focus on assisting, serving, counseling, or teaching other people.
If you are not sure whether you have a Building or Thinking or Helping interest which might fit with a career as a podiatrist, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Podiatrists should also possess the following specific qualities:
Compassion. Podiatrists treat patients who may be in pain. They must be empathetic toward the people they serve.
Critical-thinking skills. Podiatrists must have a sharp, analytical mind to correctly diagnose a patient and determine the best course of treatment.
Detail oriented. To provide safe, effective healthcare, a podiatrist should be detail oriented. For example, a podiatrist must pay attention to a patient’s medical history as well as current conditions when diagnosing a problem and deciding on a treatment.
Interpersonal skills. Because podiatrists spend much of their time interacting with patients, they should be able to listen well and communicate effectively. For example, they should be able to tell a patient who is slated to undergo surgery what to expect and calm his or her fears.
The median annual wage for podiatrists was $126,240 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $54,150, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $208,000.
In May 2019, the median annual wages for podiatrists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Offices of physicians | $141,920 |
| Offices of other health practitioners | 125,330 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 124,200 |
| Federal government, excluding postal service | 116,900 |
Most podiatrists work full time. Podiatrists’ offices may be open in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate patients. Self-employed podiatrists or those who own their practice may set their own hours. In hospitals, podiatrists may have to work occasional nights or weekends, or may be on call.
Employment of podiatrists is projected to grow 6 percent from 2018 to 2028, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
As the U.S. population ages, the number of people expected to have mobility and foot-related problems will rise, and podiatrists will be needed to treat these conditions. For example, older patients who remain active may incur injuries through exercise, and require foot and ankle care from podiatrists.
Growing rates of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, also may limit mobility of those with these conditions, and lead to problems such as foot ulcers and poor circulation in the feet and lower extremities. More podiatrists will be needed to provide care for these patients.
Job Prospects
Job prospects for trained podiatrists should be good, given that there are a limited number of colleges of podiatry.
For more information about podiatrists, visit
American Podiatric Medical Association
For information on colleges of podiatric medicine and their entrance requirements, curricula, and student financial aid, visit
American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine
For a list of accredited podiatric programs and residency programs, visit
Council on Podiatric Medical Education
For more information about the podiatric licensing exam, visit
National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners
For more information about board certification, visit
American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery
American Board of Podiatric Medicine
American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry