Pathologists, hematologist-oncologists and podiatrists are the most likely physicians to search for a job in another state, according to a Sept. 4 blog post from Marit Health.
The analysis of job search behavior from 18,000 clinicians found wide variation in out-of-state interest by specialty, driven largely by how tight the local job market is. Pathology topped the list at 80%, followed by hematology oncology and podiatry at 78% each, dermatology at 75% and cardiology and internal medicine tied at 71%.
The pattern splits into two groups for different reasons, the blog post noted. Hematology oncology is a small specialty with strong demand, pushing physicians to search broadly for the right fit, while pathology and podiatry have large workforces chasing comparatively few openings, forcing a national search.
On the other end, physicians in high-volume specialties search out of state far less often — emergency medicine (50%), urology (52%), OB-GYN (55%), psychiatry (57%) and family medicine (58%) all ranked lowest, according to the blog post, reflecting the larger number of local openings in those fields.
Career stage shapes the pattern too. Fellows search out of state most often, at 76%, followed by residents at 70%, according to the blog post. Practicing physicians overall search out of state 65% of the time, a rate that dips slightly to 57% among physicians with 20 or more years of experience.
The full specialty ranking, per the blog post:
- Pathology: 80%
- Hematology oncology: 78%
- Podiatry: 78%
- Dermatology: 75%
- Cardiology: 71%
- Internal medicine: 71%
- Orthopedic surgery: 71%
- Radiation oncology: 70%
- Radiology: 69%
- Surgery: 68%
- Neurology: 67%
- Pediatrics: 65%
- Physical medicine and rehab: 64%
- Gastroenterology: 63%
- Ophthalmology: 63%
- Anesthesiology: 58%
- Family medicine: 58%
- Psychiatry: 57%
- OB-GYN: 55%
- Urology: 52%
- Emergency medicine: 50%
The findings are based on 369,900 job search actions recorded on Marit Health between August 2025 and July 2026, and reflect stated search interest rather than completed job changes, according to the blog post.
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