US physician practices from the CMS NPPES register: fields, method and prices, nationwide or by state.
How many doctors are in the US?
About 1.03 million physicians are active in the United States. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) counted 1,032,365 active physicians in 2024, of whom 866,460 provide direct patient care. The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) counted 1,082,187 physicians with an active license in its 2024 census. The CMS NPPES register holds more, ~1,253,000 individual MD and DO registrations in the file of 2026-09-14, and that figure is an upper bound because physicians keep their numbers after they retire.
The AAMC counted 1,032,365 active physicians in the US in 2024, or 304 per 100,000 residents.
1,032,365The FSMB physician census counted 1,082,187 physicians with an active license in 2024.
1,082,187BLS counted 804,140 jobs for physicians and surgeons in May 2025, a figure that leaves out self-employed doctors.
804,140The CMS NPPES file holds ~1,253,000 individual MD and DO registrations, an upper bound because retired physicians keep their numbers.
~1,253,000Those physicians and their organizations list ~483,000 registered practice addresses, also an upper bound.
~483,000What counts as a doctor, a license or a practice?
The figures on this page count different things, so they don't contradict each other. Our own counts are rounded; the others are quoted exactly.
Licensed physicians
What it counts: MDs and DOs with an active license in at least one state or DC, each counted once
Latest figure: 1,082,187
Source and date: FSMB census, 2024
Active physicians
What it counts: Licensed physicians who have finished residency and work more than 20 hours a week in patient care, teaching, research or administration (includes US territories)
Latest figure: 1,032,365
Source and date: AAMC, 2024
Direct patient care physicians
What it counts: Active physicians whose main activity is treating patients
Latest figure: 866,460
Source and date: AAMC, 2024
Employed physicians and surgeons
What it counts: Wage-and-salary jobs in SOC 29-1210 and 29-1240; self-employed physicians excluded
Latest figure: 804,140
Source and date: BLS OEWS, May 2025
NPIs in NPPES
What it counts: Individual MD and DO National Provider Identifiers (taxonomy 207* or 208*) that are not deactivated; an upper bound
Latest figure: ~1,253,000
Source and date: CMS NPPES, 2026-09-14
Organization NPIs
What it counts: Practices, groups and clinics registered as organizations with a physician taxonomy
Latest figure: ~367,000
Source and date: CMS NPPES, 2026-09-14
Registered practice addresses
What it counts: Distinct practice addresses (street + ZIP) of those NPIs; includes stale and duplicate addresses, so an upper bound
Latest figure: ~483,000
Source and date: CMS NPPES, 2026-09-14, our grouping
Offices of physicians
What it counts: Private business establishments in NAICS 6211 with employees covered by unemployment insurance
Latest figure: 246,639
Source and date: BLS QCEW, Q4 2025
A physician is a person. A practice is a place where patients are seen, and a hospital, a group clinic or a one-doctor office can each be one. NPPES registers people and organizations, not practices, so any practice count built from it is an estimate. The AAMC and FSMB counts both include physicians who don't see patients, and the BLS count leaves out self-employed physicians, which is why it is the lowest.
How many physician addresses are in each state?
California has the most registered physician practice addresses, followed by Florida, Texas and New York. The table counts addresses, not physicians, for every state and DC, with the rate per 100,000 residents and each state's share of the US. For practice-level questions, a state's address count is closer to what you would mail than its physician headcount.
| State | In the public register | Per 100,000 residents | Share of US total |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | ~53,000 | 135.5 | 11% |
| Florida | ~45,000 | 189.7 | 9.2% |
| Texas | ~42,000 | 131.9 | 8.7% |
| New York | ~37,000 | 183.2 | 7.6% |
| Pennsylvania | ~20,000 | 150.1 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | ~18,000 | 138.3 | 3.7% |
| New Jersey | ~17,000 | 180.0 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | ~16,000 | 137.1 | 3.2% |
| Michigan | ~15,000 | 148.8 | 3.1% |
| Ohio | ~15,000 | 125.9 | 3.1% |
| North Carolina | ~14,000 | 127.3 | 3% |
| Maryland | ~13,000 | 200.9 | 2.6% |
| Virginia | ~12,000 | 133.9 | 2.5% |
| Arizona | ~12,000 | 152.2 | 2.4% |
| Massachusetts | ~10,000 | 143.8 | 2.1% |
| Tennessee | ~9,400 | 128.4 | 2% |
| Colorado | ~9,000 | 148.9 | 1.9% |
| Washington | ~8,700 | 109.0 | 1.8% |
| Indiana | ~8,400 | 119.8 | 1.7% |
| Missouri | ~7,300 | 116.4 | 1.5% |
| South Carolina | ~7,100 | 128.2 | 1.5% |
| Louisiana | ~6,900 | 149.4 | 1.4% |
| Alabama | ~6,400 | 122.6 | 1.3% |
| Kentucky | ~6,300 | 135.7 | 1.3% |
| Connecticut | ~5,800 | 156.8 | 1.2% |
| Oklahoma | ~5,600 | 134.8 | 1.2% |
| Wisconsin | ~5,200 | 87.5 | 1.1% |
| Oregon | ~5,100 | 118.9 | 1.1% |
| Nevada | ~4,900 | 148.0 | 1% |
| Minnesota | ~4,300 | 74.3 | 0.9% |
| Arkansas | ~4,200 | 134.3 | 0.87% |
| Utah | ~4,000 | 114.0 | 0.84% |
| Mississippi | ~3,600 | 121.5 | 0.74% |
| Kansas | ~3,500 | 117.6 | 0.73% |
| New Mexico | ~3,300 | 155.0 | 0.68% |
| West Virginia | ~2,800 | 157.9 | 0.58% |
| Iowa | ~2,700 | 84.9 | 0.57% |
| Idaho | ~2,400 | 117.1 | 0.49% |
| Nebraska | ~2,300 | 112.8 | 0.47% |
| Hawaii | ~2,100 | 149.8 | 0.44% |
| Maine | ~2,000 | 139.6 | 0.41% |
| District of Columbia | ~1,800 | 262.7 | 0.38% |
| Delaware | ~1,800 | 170.0 | 0.37% |
| New Hampshire | ~1,600 | 111.4 | 0.33% |
| Rhode Island | ~1,500 | 131.0 | 0.3% |
| Montana | ~1,400 | 122.4 | 0.29% |
| Alaska | ~1,200 | 160.3 | 0.24% |
| Vermont | ~980 | 151.7 | 0.2% |
| South Dakota | ~960 | 102.8 | 0.2% |
| Wyoming | ~870 | 147.6 | 0.18% |
| North Dakota | ~680 | 85.3 | 0.14% |
Counts are rounded.
These are register counts from the CMS NPPES file of 2026-09-14, rounded. Rates use US Census Bureau population estimates for July 1, 2025. States are assigned by the practice address on the record, which can be out of date.
Which states have the most physician addresses per resident?
The District of Columbia has the most registered physician addresses per resident, at 262.7 per 100,000, followed by Maryland (200.9), Florida (189.7), New York (183.2) and New Jersey (180.0). Minnesota has the fewest (74.3), then Iowa (84.9), North Dakota (85.3) and Wisconsin (87.5).
These rates count addresses, and each address in the Upper Midwest tends to hold more doctors. A likely reason is that large health systems employ many of the physicians there and register them at a few shared hospital and clinic sites. DC's rate is probably lifted by physicians who work in the city and live in Maryland or Virginia.
Which specialties have the most doctors?
Family medicine and internal medicine are the largest specialties in NPPES, with pediatrics, emergency medicine and anesthesiology next. The table counts individual physicians by the specialty they flagged as primary. Specialty codes are self-reported and aren't checked against board certification.
| Specialty | Individuals |
|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | ~156,000 |
| Internal Medicine Physician | ~149,000 |
| Pediatrics Physician | ~74,000 |
| Emergency Medicine Physician | ~71,000 |
| Anesthesiology Physician | ~61,000 |
| Psychiatry Physician | ~58,000 |
| Obstetrics & Gynecology Physician | ~46,000 |
| Diagnostic Radiology Physician | ~44,000 |
| Surgery Physician | ~34,000 |
| Hospitalist Physician | ~28,000 |
| Cardiovascular Disease Physician | ~27,000 |
| Orthopaedic Surgery Physician | ~25,000 |
| Ophthalmology Physician | ~23,000 |
| Neurology Physician | ~22,000 |
| Gastroenterology Physician | ~21,000 |
Counts are rounded.
Six specialties have their own pages with address counts for every state and DC: the cardiologist email list, oncologist email list, pediatrician email list, neurologist email list, urologist email list and radiologist email list.
How many dermatologists are in the US?
BLS counted 11,370 dermatologist jobs in May 2025 (OEWS, SOC 29-1213). That is a floor, because OEWS leaves out self-employed dermatologists and files many physicians under "physicians, all other" rather than a named specialty. The CMS NPPES file of 2026-09-14 holds ~20,000 individual registrations with a dermatology code (207N, in any taxonomy slot, including Mohs surgery, dermatopathology and pediatric dermatology). That is an upper bound, because retired dermatologists keep their records. The number of practicing dermatologists lies between the two, and we don't publish a point estimate.
- Locations: ~16,000 registered practice addresses have at least one provider with a dermatology code, about 3.3% of all physician addresses.
- By state: the dermatologist email list page has the dermatology addresses for every state and DC, with each state's dermatology share.
How many surgeons are in the US?
BLS counted 40,430 surgeon jobs in May 2025. That is the sum of three occupations in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey: orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric (SOC 29-1242), 14,100; pediatric surgeons (29-1243), 1,190; and surgeons, all other (29-1249), 25,140. These are surgeon jobs in BLS OEWS (wage and salary; excludes the self-employed and ophthalmologists other than pediatric ones). The full BLS surgeons group (29-1240) comes to 49,380 because it also holds 8,950 ophthalmologist jobs (29-1241). The pediatric surgeon figure is the least precise of the three, with a relative standard error of 33.7%. BLS defines 29-1249 as "All surgeons not listed separately", so the BLS and NPPES groups aren't built from the same specialty list and comparing them isn't like for like.
The CMS NPPES file of 2026-09-14 holds ~111,000 individual NPIs whose primary taxonomy is a surgical specialty. We count general surgery and its subspecialties (such as vascular, trauma, surgical critical care and surgical oncology), orthopaedic, neurological, thoracic, plastic, and colon and rectal surgery, and leave out ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynecology, otolaryngology, urology, and transplant and oral surgery (codes 204F and 204E, which our physician register, built on the 207 and 208 codes, does not include). That count is an upper bound, because surgeons keep their numbers after they retire. The BLS figure sits lower in part because it leaves out self-employed surgeons and partners in unincorporated practices. Surgical oncologists are in this count and in the oncologist email list, so don't add the two.
How many anesthesiologists are in the US?
BLS counted 38,760 anesthesiologist jobs in May 2025 (OEWS, SOC 29-1211). That excludes self-employed anesthesiologists and partners in unincorporated groups.
The CMS NPPES file of 2026-09-14 holds ~69,000 individual NPIs whose primary taxonomy is anesthesiology (207L), including the pain medicine, critical care and pediatric anesthesiology subspecialties. It is an upper bound, because retired anesthesiologists keep their records. The anesthesiology row in the specialty table above is smaller because it counts only the general anesthesiology code, without the subspecialties.
How current is the NPPES data?
Physician records are younger than dental ones, but many are still stale. A record's "last update date" is when the provider or CMS last changed it, not when anyone checked it.
- Median record age: 5.6 years before the file date, across individual and organization NPIs.
- Updated in the last 5 years: 46% of the records.
- Addresses with recent activity: ~259,000 of the ~483,000 registered practice addresses have an NPI updated or added in the last 5 years. That isn't a floor on open practices, since many open sites have no record touched in that time.
- New registrations: ~25,000 physician and practice NPIs were issued in the 12 months before the file date.
What these numbers don't show
Whether a particular physician is practicing. NPPES keeps records of retired and relocated physicians until someone deactivates them.
Whether a particular address is open. Address counts come from registrations. We have not visited or called them.
Who owns a practice. NPPES has no ownership or health-system field. An organization's "authorized official" is a contact, not proof of ownership.
Physicians with more than one site. Only the primary practice address on each record is counted.
Residents in training. The AAMC count leaves out physicians who haven't finished residency. The other counts treat residents in different ways, which is one more reason they differ.
Changes over time. This page reflects one NPPES file, so it shows no change by state.
LimitsDownload the data
physicians-register-2026-10.csvCSVCC BY 4.02026-10-04
nodilist.com, "How many doctors are in the US?", register counts from the CMS NPPES file of 14 September 2026 with AAMC, FSMB and BLS figures, https://nodilist.com/physicians/how-many-doctors/.
- physicians-register-2026-10.csv: registered physician practice addresses for the US and each state and DC, with the rate per 100,000 residents, the share of the US and the rank.
The CSV holds exact values; the tables on this page round them. It is licensed under CC BY 4.0. You can reuse it, including commercially, if you credit nodilist.com and link to this page.
Looking for physician practice contacts?
The physician email list is built from the same register and the practices' own websites, one row per practice location, with the source and last-verified date on every email. Its page has the register counts by state, the columns and the prices. You can order it nationwide or by state.
Physician email listSources
- AAMC, U.S. Physician Workforce Data Dashboard, 2025 Key Findings (data year 2024), https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/data/2025-key-findings (accessed 2026-10-03)
- FSMB, FSMB Physician Census Identifies 1,082,187 Licensed Physicians in U.S., news release of 2025-08-15, on the Census of Licensed Physicians in the United States, 2024 (Journal of Medical Regulation), https://www.fsmb.org/advocacy/news-releases/fsmb-physician-census-identifies-1082187-licensed-physicians-in-u.s/ (accessed 2026-10-03)
- BLS, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, physicians (SOC 29-1210, series OEUN000000000000029121001), surgeons (SOC 29-1240, series OEUN000000000000029124001) and dermatologists (SOC 29-1213, series OEUN000000000000029121301), https://www.bls.gov/oes/ via https://api.bls.gov (accessed 2026-10-03)
- BLS, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates, orthopedic surgeons except pediatric (SOC 29-1242, series OEUN000000000000029124201), pediatric surgeons (SOC 29-1243, series OEUN000000000000029124301), surgeons all other (SOC 29-1249, series OEUN000000000000029124901), ophthalmologists except pediatric (SOC 29-1241, series OEUN000000000000029124101) and anesthesiologists (SOC 29-1211, series OEUN000000000000029121101), national_M2025_dl.xlsx in https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip (accessed 2026-10-04)
- BLS, 2018 Standard Occupational Classification definitions (29-1243 Pediatric Surgeons, 29-1249 Surgeons, All Other), https://www.bls.gov/soc/2018/soc_2018_definitions.xlsx (accessed 2026-10-04)
- BLS, Technical Notes for May 2025 OEWS Estimates (scope: the survey does not include the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms), https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_tec.htm (accessed 2026-10-04)
- BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 Q4, NAICS 6211 Offices of physicians, private establishments, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/4/industry/6211.csv (accessed 2026-10-03)
- CMS, NPPES Data Dissemination V.2, file of 2026-09-14, taxonomy codes 207* and 208*, https://download.cms.gov/nppes/NPI_Files.html (accessed 2026-10-03)
- US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 state population estimates (July 1, 2025), via FRED, for the rates per 100,000 residents (accessed 2026-10-03)