Aging doctors by state are a growing concern: one in five U.S. physicians who treat Medicare patients finished medical school at least 35 years ago: 140,287 of the 702,881 in Medicare’s Care Compare data. Most doctors graduate in their mid-to-late 20s, so these are typically physicians around 60 or older, and many communities will need replacements for them within the next decade.
Key findings
- 20.0% of physicians in the data graduated 35 or more years ago, and 11.8% 40 or more years ago. On the other end, 21.1% graduated within the last 10 years. The average physician graduated 22.5 years ago.
- The Northeast and Florida have the most senior workforce: Puerto Rico 32.8%, New Jersey 26.6%, New York 25.2%, Delaware 25.1% and Florida 23.6%.
- The West is youngest: Oregon 11.8%, Colorado 12.4%, Utah 13.0%, Washington 13.8% and Idaho 13.9%.
- Cardiology is the most senior large specialty: 35.0% of cardiologists graduated at least 35 years ago, followed by cardiothoracic surgery (33.3%). Hospital medicine is the youngest (4.7%).
- Of the 1,228 counties with at least 30 physicians in the data, 37 have 40% or more who graduated 35+ years ago, and 5 have half or more.
Aging doctors by state: the most and fewest senior physicians
| Most senior | Graduated 35+ years ago | Least senior | Graduated 35+ years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | 32.8% | Oregon | 11.8% |
| New Jersey | 26.6% | Colorado | 12.4% |
| New York | 25.2% | Utah | 13.0% |
| Delaware | 25.1% | Washington | 13.8% |
| Florida | 23.6% | Idaho | 13.9% |
| Alabama | 23.3% | ||
| Maryland | 23.2% |
Among large counties (1,000 or more physicians in the data), the most senior workforces are in San Juan, Puerto Rico (35.7%), Queens County, New York (32.3%), Palm Beach County, Florida (32.1%), Norfolk County, Massachusetts (31.7%), Bucks County, Pennsylvania (30.6%) and Westchester County, New York (30.5%).
By specialty
| Specialty | Physicians in the data | Graduated 35+ years ago |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiology | 18,424 | 35.0% |
| Cardiothoracic Surgery | 3,814 | 33.3% |
| General Practice | 4,546 | 30.8% |
| Allergy & Immunology | 3,433 | 29.9% |
| Geriatric Medicine | 3,142 | 28.5% |
| Gastroenterology | 15,158 | 28.0% |
| Ophthalmology | 16,197 | 27.7% |
| Psychiatry | 24,919 | 27.6% |
| Youngest | ||
| Critical Care Medicine | 6,064 | 12.9% |
| Sports Medicine | 5,706 | 11.8% |
| Emergency Medicine | 41,915 | 8.3% |
| Hospitalist | 23,006 | 4.7% |
Psychiatry stands out: it is both one of the most senior specialties and one already missing from many places. Our doctors-per-capita map shows 1,611 counties with no psychiatrist at all.
How we measured it, and the limits
- Graduation year, not age. Medicare’s Care Compare lists the year each clinician graduated from medical school. It doesn’t publish ages or birth years.
- Medicare-enrolled clinicians only. Care Compare covers clinicians enrolled in Medicare: 702,881 physicians in the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico in our data. Specialties that rarely treat Medicare patients, such as pediatrics, are under-represented, so we don’t rank them.
- Specialty and place come from the NPI registry: each physician’s primary specialty and practice county, the same as on our other maps.
- Still working. Everyone counted here had an active NPI and a Medicare enrollment in November 2026. A senior workforce doesn’t mean doctors are leaving soon, only that more will reach typical retirement ages.
More on sources and methods: Methodology. Look up any doctor, including their medical school and graduation year when Medicare lists it, with Find a doctor. Questions about training and credentials are answered in our FAQ.
Source: contact.doctor analysis of the CMS Doctors and Clinicians national downloadable file (Care Compare) and the NPPES NPI Registry, November 2026 releases.
Sources: Medicare Care Compare: Doctors and Clinicians (opens in a new tab) and the CMS NPI Registry (opens in a new tab).