FDFertility Doctor
FD
Career

Fertility Doctor

By the numbers
Typical pay
$292,910 / yr
Education to start
Doctoral or professional degree
Future demand
+1.2% by 2034
People in this job
21K
Figures shown for ·closest of 3 O*NET occupations
The work
Watch · day in the life
A day, hour by hour
07:15
Chart review

Scan overnight hormone results and flag patients needing dose adjustments today.

07:45
Egg retrieval

Retrieve eggs from a sedated patient; count and hand off to the embryologist.

09:00
Monitoring rounds

Read ultrasounds and estrogen levels to track where each stimulation patient stands.

10:00
Patient consults

See four couples — diagnose, explain options, decide who's ready for IVF vs. not.

12:30
Lab huddle

Review embryo grading reports with the lab; decide which embryos are safe to transfer.

13:15
Embryo transfer

Guide a catheter under ultrasound and place the chosen embryo into the uterus.

14:00
Tough conversation

Tell a couple their third cycle failed; weigh whether to push on or shift paths.

15:00
Fertility preservation

Counsel a cancer patient on freezing eggs before chemotherapy starts next week.

16:00
Dose adjustments & notes

Tweak medication protocols for tomorrow's patients; close out the day's charts.

Things you do
  • Perform egg retrievals and embryo transfers in the clinic lab.
  • Design personalized IVF or IUI treatment plans for each patient.
  • Read hormone levels and ultrasounds to track a patient's cycle.
  • Diagnose conditions like PCOS or endometriosis blocking pregnancy.
  • Counsel couples on their odds, options, and next steps honestly.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this couple ready to try IVF, or should we keep trying simpler options first?
  • Are these embryo quality and test results good enough to transfer, or do I wait?
  • Should I push harder on treatment, or gently help this patient consider other paths?
  • Is this patient's emotional state too fragile to handle another failed cycle right now?
  • Do the risks of ovarian hyperstimulation outweigh the benefits of this medication dose?
Education Pathways · how you get there
100 in 100 went the college route · 0 in 100 found another way in None, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:
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