POPodiatrist
PO
Career

Podiatrist

By the numbers
Typical pay
$160,300 / yr
Education to start
Doctoral or professional degree
Future demand
+1.8% by 2034
People in this job
10K
Figures shown for ·1 O*NET occupation
The work
Watch · day in the life
A day, hour by hour
07:45
Chart prep

Review today's patient files, flag diabetics and post-op cases needing extra attention.

08:15
Morning clinic

See back-to-back patients — ingrown nails, calluses, bunion checks, orthotics fittings.

10:00
X-ray reads

Pull up films on a limping teenager; spot a stress fracture hiding in the metatarsal.

10:30
Wound care round

Debride a diabetic ulcer, then decide: manage in-office or send this one to the hospital?

11:30
Surgical block

Perform a bunionectomy at the outpatient center — two hours on your feet, scalpel in hand.

13:45
Post-op checks

Inspect healing incisions, adjust dressings, clear one patient to bear weight again.

14:30
Afternoon clinic

Athlete in with Achilles pain — assess, counsel, and make the call on return-to-play.

16:15
Orthotics & coaching

Cast a runner's foot for custom insoles; walk them through gait changes to prevent re-injury.

17:00
Notes & sign-off

Dictate clinical notes, sign off prescriptions, flag one patient for urgent follow-up tomorrow.

Things you do
  • Examine feet and ankles to figure out what's wrong.
  • Perform surgery to fix bunions, fractures, and deformities.
  • Treat diabetic patients' foot wounds to prevent amputations.
  • Trim ingrown toenails and remove calluses during routine visits.
  • Order and read X-rays to spot bone problems and injuries.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Does this foot wound need surgery now, or can I try conservative treatment first?
  • Is this diabetic patient's ulcer infected enough to hospitalize, or can I manage it in-office?
  • Are these symptoms a straightforward bunion, or is something systemic going on?
  • Should I push this patient toward surgery, or respect that they want to live with the pain?
  • Is this athlete ready to return to play, or am I risking a worse injury?
Education Pathways · how you get there
99 in 100 went the college route · 1 in 100 found another way in None, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:Podiatrists · 100% related
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