Objective  To analyze job satisfaction and its impact factors among pediatricians in China and to explore reasons of pediatrician shortage and relevant countermeasures.

  Methods  With Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Version, we conducted a survey among 4 906 pediatricians recruited with stratified multistage random sampling across China from August to December 2018. Univariate factor analysis and logistic regression analysis were used in the study.

  Results  For the 4 198 respondents with valid information, the overall job satisfaction score was 3.06 ± 0.613; the domain scores were 3.37 ± 0.650, 2.32 ± 0.733, and 3.06 ± 0.771 for satisfaction to work itself and social support, work content and return, and leadership and interpersonal relationship, respectively. Among the factors related to job satisfaction, age, gender, region, grade of medical institution, professional title, years in practice, hospital beds (workload), weekly rest days, and monthly income were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that years in practice ≥ 1 year was a main risk factor against job satisfaction; while female, weekly rest days of 1 – 2 days and monthly income ≥ 10 000 yuan RMB were main protective factors for job satisfaction among the respondents.

  Conclusion  Job satisfaction is at a low level and mainly influenced by monthly income, weekly rest days, gender and years in practice among pediatricians in China.