Hear the patient's reaction story
Ask what they ate or touched, when symptoms began and what followed, then examine them to choose tests.
Career profile
Allergist and Immunologist
Allergists and immunologists investigate allergies, manage asthma and treat immune systems that do not protect.
One skin or lab result is never the whole story. Allergists weigh it against the patient's experience, and only then choose more testing or treatment.
A day in the life
Match test results to symptoms
Compare skin reactions or blood work with symptoms, and explain a positive alone does not prove allergy.
Rework the plan when symptoms persist
Review how the medicines worked, discuss alternatives and record the new plan for the patient and other clinicians.
Supervise a food challenge in clinic
For selected patients, watch for symptoms as they eat the food, with treatment ready if they react.
Quick facts
Medical school + specialty training
United States
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Pay depends on the position, experience, and working hours.
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National physician projections cover many specialties together.
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Medical school + specialty trainingTypically a bachelor's degree, four years of medical school, three years of residency, and at least two years of allergy and immunology fellowship.
Pay
Not displayedPay depends on the position, experience, and working hours.
Outlook
Not displayedNational physician projections cover many specialties together.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like asking follow-up questions before settling on an explanation.
- You can explain an uncertain result without making the person feel dismissed.
- You enjoy biology and sustained conversations with patients.
Things to weigh
- Some tests can provoke reactions. You need to stay attentive even when the appointment begins calmly.
- The training takes years, and studying continues after it. Patient visits also leave charts to update and results to review.
Where AI may help
Software that searches medical records for patterns may help flag possible immune disorders or support treatment decisions. These artificial intelligence tools need validation for their intended patients.
What people still lead
You judge whether a suggested pattern fits the person in front of you and weigh the consequences of further testing or treatment.
What we can’t predict yet
How much diagnostic work these tools can take over depends on whether they remain reliable across different patients and clinics.
Pay in context
Earnings
Specialty pay ranges below show the terms of academic and outpatient jobs. The national median and hiring outlook cover a broader physician group.
National physician pay context
Physicians, All Other had a May 2025 median of $265,930 annually—about $127.85 an hour using 2,080 hours per year. Its 10th and 90th percentile wages were $69,170 and $452,360. These figures span multiple specialties; they are not allergist-only pay, career stages, or an actual hourly schedule.
Academic clinical appointments
In Los Angeles, full-time academic allergy and immunology appointments offer a salary range of $146,700–$442,800 across Instructor through Professor ranks. Rank and step affect pay, and additional compensation may be available. This is an appointment range, not a starting salary.
Outpatient medical-group work
For an outpatient allergist role in Southborough, Massachusetts, the specialty compensation range is $254,000–$480,500, including base pay and bonus. Experience and local labor markets affect compensation; productivity and performance may increase it over time. Compare bonus terms as well as salary.
Broader hiring context
Physicians, All Other is projected to grow 3.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,400 openings annually from growth and replacement combined. Those openings span multiple specialties.
Getting started
Begin with internal medicine
- What the route involves
- Complete a three-year internal medicine residency, building experience in adult medical care.
- What it can lead to
- You can pursue allergy and immunology fellowship. Internal medicine board certification supplies one prerequisite for the later specialty certification exam.
Begin with pediatrics
- What the route involves
- Complete a three-year pediatrics residency, building experience caring for children.
- What it can lead to
- You can pursue allergy and immunology fellowship. Pediatrics board certification supplies the alternative prerequisite for the later specialty certification exam.
First complete college preparation and earn a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. The two main residency routes below lead toward the same specialty fellowship; residency and fellowship involve supervised patient care.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization. This path also has a credential or licensing boundary; see the requirements and limits.
Get established
Build a follow-up routine for your patients and keep referring clinicians informed about diagnoses and treatment changes.
Improve your decisions
Use continuing education and reviews of your own care to spot what needs improvement, then check whether your changes help.
Develop a focus
Build expertise in complex immune disorders or food allergy. In academic practice, you may progress into teaching fellows or leading clinical or research work.
Where you can work
Outpatient allergy office
Your work centers on consultations, testing, and return visits. The office needs both space for planned appointments and equipment to respond to a testing reaction.
- Indoors
- Office
- Safety-sensitive
Academic children's medical center
You may share complex cases with other specialists and teach medical students, residents, and fellows. Some appointments also include research and leadership responsibilities.
- Indoors
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Imagine someone reports an itchy rash after lunch. Write five questions you would ask before blaming a particular food, then arrange the answers you would need on a timeline. Notice whether you enjoy finding missing information before choosing an explanation.
Stay safe: Keep this fictional. Do not test foods, medicines, or suspected allergens on yourself or anyone else.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Allergists and Immunologists — 29-1229.01. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Physicians and Surgeons. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. About Allergy and Immunology. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Allergy Testing. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Food Allergy. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. A Framework for Augmented Intelligence in Allergy and Immunology Practice and Research. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- American Board of Allergy and Immunology. Policies and Procedures: Certification Candidate Requirements. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Medical Board of California. Physicians and Surgeons. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- American Board of Allergy and Immunology. Requirements of Maintenance of Certification. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Mayo Clinic. Pediatric Allergist/Immunologist — Job 389251. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine. National Wages: Allergists and Immunologists. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- University of California, Los Angeles. Clinical Positions in Clinical Immunology and Allergy 2026-2027. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- UnitedHealth Group. Allergist — Reliant Medical Group — Southborough, MA. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Find out how your compensation and practice revenue and expenses compare with other allergists. Accessed 2026-10-03.