What is a Hospitalist?
Career Description Provide inpatient care predominantly in settings such as medical wards, acute care units, intensive care units, rehabilitation centers, or emergency rooms. Manage and coordinate patient care throughout treatment.
List of Hospitalist Job Duties
- Prescribe medications or treatment regimens to hospital inpatients.
- Attend inpatient consultations in areas of specialty.
- Communicate with patients' primary care physicians upon admission, when treatment plans change, or at discharge to maintain continuity and quality of care.
- Conduct discharge planning and discharge patients.
- Direct, coordinate, or supervise the patient care activities of nursing or support staff.
- Diagnose, treat, or provide continuous care to hospital inpatients.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Hospitalist?
Below is a list of the skills most Hospitalists say are important on the job.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Chief of Internal Medicine
- Inpatient Services Director
- Hospitalist Medical Director
- Associate Chief, Section of Hospital Medicine
- Medical Director
Hospitalist Job Outlook
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 372,400 jobs in the United States for Hospitalist. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 11.4% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 42,300 new jobs for Hospitalist by 2026. There will be an estimated 14,300 positions for Hospitalist per year.

The states with the most job growth for Hospitalist are Arizona, Alaska, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Hospitalist Make?
The typical yearly salary for Hospitalists is somewhere between $60,280 and $208,000.

Hospitalists who work in Alaska, Arizona, or Colorado, make the highest salaries.
How much do Hospitalists make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $183,510 |
Alaska | $244,220 |
Arizona | $229,090 |
Arkansas | $165,290 |
California | $208,740 |
Colorado | $219,310 |
Connecticut | $221,870 |
Delaware | $216,600 |
District of Columbia | $182,910 |
Florida | $205,020 |
Georgia | $235,060 |
Hawaii | $228,470 |
Idaho | $241,670 |
Illinois | $183,780 |
Indiana | $237,470 |
Iowa | $219,300 |
Kansas | $191,430 |
Kentucky | $223,770 |
Louisiana | $183,920 |
Maine | $257,550 |
Maryland | $196,210 |
Massachusetts | $207,990 |
Michigan | $181,760 |
Minnesota | $245,040 |
Mississippi | $174,340 |
Missouri | $203,440 |
Montana | $247,260 |
Nebraska | $161,880 |
Nevada | $227,500 |
New Hampshire | $275,840 |
New Jersey | $208,820 |
New Mexico | $229,100 |
New York | $171,060 |
North Carolina | $198,040 |
North Dakota | $266,510 |
Ohio | $212,160 |
Oklahoma | $155,130 |
Oregon | $202,750 |
Pennsylvania | $195,810 |
Rhode Island | $209,580 |
South Carolina | $185,210 |
South Dakota | $227,710 |
Tennessee | $231,960 |
Texas | $199,370 |
Utah | $218,210 |
Vermont | $176,520 |
Virginia | $199,080 |
Washington | $239,080 |
West Virginia | $222,270 |
Wisconsin | $239,610 |
Wyoming | $234,610 |
What Tools & Technology do Hospitalists Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Hospitalists:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Web browser software
- Email software
- MEDITECH software
- Medical procedure coding software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Global positioning system GPS software
- Billing software
- Voice recognition software
- Epocrates Essentials
- Medical reference software
- Computerized physician order entry CPOE software
Becoming a Hospitalist
What education or degrees do I need to become a Hospitalist?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Hospitalists Work

The table below shows the approximate number of Hospitalists employed by various industries.

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those thinking about becoming a Hospitalist might also be interested in the following careers:
Are you already one of the many Hospitalist in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
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