CHOC Specialists logo
CHOC Specialists
Orange County, California

Palliative Care - Physician

PediatricsIncludes callFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 7mo ago

Job Description

CHOC Specialists is a private pediatric subspecialty group with 26 pediatric subspecialties. The group practices at Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) which is a premier healthcare system based in Orange County, Calif. CHOC is exclusively committed to the health and well-being of children through clinical expertise, advocacy, outreach and research that brings advanced treatment to pediatric patients.

Pediatric Palliative Care Physician - Southern California

We’re seeking a Pediatric Palliative Care Physician to join the growing Supportive Care program at CHOC Children’s Hospital in scenic Orange County, California. The CHOC supportive care services provides physical, emotional, social and spiritual care for patients and families focusing on improving quality of life, symptom management and if necessary, end-of-life care. Additionally, the program also provides specific acute and chronic pain management consultations.

Responsibilities include providing empathetic and quality care to pediatric medical and surgical patients from birth to young adulthood. Opportunities in quality improvement, community outreach, research, resident/fellow education and administrative activities are available and encouraged.

About CHOC Children’S

CHOC is ranked as one of the best children’s hospitals in seven specialties by U.S. News & World Report 2020-22, including cancer; diabetes and endocrinology; neonatology; neurology and neurosurgery; orthopedics; pulmonology and lung surgery; and urology. In addition, CHOC is ranked #5 in the state of California and #6 in the Pacific. CHOC has also been named a 2020 and 2021 Top Children’s Hospital by The Leapfrog Group.

Since 1964, CHOC has been steadfastly committed to providing the highest quality medical care to children.

Affiliated with the University of California, Irvine, our regional pediatric healthcare network includes a state-of-the-art 334-bed main hospital facility in the City of Orange, and a hospital-within-a-hospital in Mission Viejo.

CHOC also offers many primary and specialty care clinics, more than 100 additional programs and services, a pediatric residency program, and four centers of excellence – The CHOC Heart, Neuroscience, Orthopedic and Hyundai Cancer Institutes.

CHOC Children’s Specialists, a growing private pediatric subspecialty group, is home to more than 250 pediatric specialists and 22 pediatric subspecialties. CHOC Children’s Specialists practices at and operates as a division of CHOC Children’s, a premier healthcare system affiliated with the University of California, Irvine.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate for this role is bright and independent with a passion for palliative care medicine, pain management, and a desire to contribute to the development and growth of CHOC Children’s Specialists’ program. Additional qualifications include:

  • CA medical license or eligible to obtain a CA medical license
  • Board Certified/Board Eligible in Pediatrics
  • Completion of fellowship in adult palliative care or pediatric palliative care (preferred)
  • Current California DEA certificate
  • Current PALS certification

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation
  • CME allowance
  • Comprehensive medical/dental/vision plans
  • 401k Retirement Plan with employer contribution independent of a salary deduction

About Orange County

Sun-drenched Orange County is ideally situated between San Diego and Los Angeles offering 45 miles of gorgeous coastline. The area boasts average temperatures of 70 degrees and up along with unbeatable entertainment, shopping and attractions and easy access to the beach, mountains, and desert.

Families will appreciate the area’s top-ranked schools and friendly, safe neighborhoods. Orange County is less than an hour’s drive from Los Angeles and less than 90 minutes from San Diego and Palm Springs.

Rate of pay is determined by various factors, including but not limited to knowledge, skills, competencies, experience, education, as well as position requirements.

CHOC Specialists is an equal opportunity at will employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of age, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, citizenship, national origin, ancestry (including language use restrictions), race, color, religion, religious creed, religious dress or grooming, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, military and veteran status.

Qualifications

  • CA medical license or eligible to obtain a CA medical license
  • Board Certified/Board Eligible in Pediatrics
  • Completion of fellowship in adult palliative care or pediatric palliative care (preferred)
  • Current California DEA certificate

Current PALS Certification

Rate of pay is determined by various factors, including but not limited to knowledge, skills, competencies, experience, education, as well as position requirements.

CHOC Specialists is an equal opportunity at will employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of age, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, citizenship, national origin, ancestry (including language use restrictions), race, color, religion, religious creed, religious dress or grooming, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, military and veteran status.

Key Responsibilities

Responsibilities include providing empathetic and quality care to pediatric medical and surgical patients from birth to young adulthood within the Supportive Care program. Opportunities are available and encouraged in quality improvement, community outreach, research, resident/fellow education, and administrative activities.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
5+ years of experience

Certifications

DEA LicenseBoard Certification

Key Skills

Pediatric CareResident Education

Pediatrics — Physician Career Context

CHOC Specialists ranks #1 of 10 employers hiring Pediatrician on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.

In California, the Pediatrics weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$264k (97 salary observations; 237 listings), vs ~$242k nationally (500 salary observations; 1,997 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Pediatrics listings this role was benchmarked against, 4% are remote, 66% have no call, 48% require no weekends.

Pediatrics pay on WeekdayDoc is up 14.1% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Pediatrician Jobs

25 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution18 jobs · 17 employers

4
<$230k
6
$230k-275k
4
$275k-320k
3
$320k-365k
1
$390k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks21 jobs · 17 employers

401k / retirement match
86% this job
CME allowance
62% this job
Relocation assistance
38%
Sign-on bonus
24%
Loan repayment
19%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Neonatology - Physician

CHOC Specialists · Orange, California

$260k-$390k
#2

Physician - Pediatrics

Neighborhood Healthcare · Riverside, California

$210k-$348k
#3

Physician – Pediatrician – St. Cloud, MN

$240k-$330k
#4

Adolescent Medicine - Physician

$295k–$330k
+ 23 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.1this job 1.5
Below most Pediatrics listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 733 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
CHOC Specialists logo

About CHOC Specialists

Hospitals and Health Care
Orange, California
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Competitive compensation
CME allowance
Comprehensive medical/dental/vision plans
401k Retirement Plan with employer contribution