
<PAGE>   1
                                                                EXHIBIT 10.6


                                AmeriPath, Inc.


                                                            September 30, 1996

Alan Levin, M.D.
21 Island Road
Stuart, FL  34996

Dear Dr. Levin:

         We are pleased to confirm our offer for you to join AmeriPath, Inc.
(the "Company") as its Chief Operating Officer. Your new duties commence October
1, 1996. You will be working out of the Company's Corporate Headquarters in
Riviera Beach, Florida, handling the day-to-day operations of the Company, as
directed by management, and reporting directly to the Company's Chief Executive
Officer, James C. New (and, as needed from time to time, to the Board of
Directors). You are also responsible for appointing your successor at AmeriPath
Florida, Inc.'s Orlando Division (f/k/a Derrick and Associates Pathology).

         Your aggregate annual compensation will remain at $255,000 ($9,807.69
bi-weekly). $155,000 of your annual salary will be paid by the Company. The
remaining $100,000 will be paid by the Orlando Division pursuant to an amended
employment agreement (a form of amendment is included herewith). Effective the
year beginning January 1, 1997, you will be eligible to receive a bonus of up to
$25,000 per annum, subject to the achievement of mutually agreeable performance
objectives to be determined prior to January 1, 1997. You shall also receive one
year of salary continuation following a termination, other than for cause, by
the Company.

         In consideration of your services as the Company's Chief Operating
Officer, you will also be entitled to options to purchase AmeriPath Common Stock
as follows: (1) 10,000 stock options will be granted during October 1996 at the
then fair market value of the AmeriPath Common Stock, as determined by an
appropriate evaluation of the Company's Common Stock as of September 30, 1996,
or such later date as is appropriate to value the Common Stock, and (2) 20,000
stock options will be granted at the effective date of the Company's initial
public offering, which options shall be priced at the price at which the Common
Stock is offered to the public in such offering. The options, granted pursuant
to the Company's 1996 Stock Option Plan, as amended, and a standard form of
non-qualified option agreement, vest evenly over five years from the date of
grant.

         If the above terms of your engagement with the Company are acceptable
to you, please sign below signifying your acceptance of this agreement, execute
the attached amendment to your employment agreement (adjusting your salary
payable by the Orlando Division therein) and return signed originals of the same
to me.


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Alan Levin, M.D.
September 30, 1996
Page 2

         Thank you very much.  We at AmeriPath, Inc. look forward to working 
with you.

                                              Sincerely,

                                              /s/ James C. New
                                              ----------------
                                              James C. New


Agreed and Accepted on 
this September 30, 1996.

/s/ Alan Levin
------------------------------
ALAN LEVIN, M.D.


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                           AMERIPATH FLORIDA, INC.

                           FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE

                            EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

        THIS FIRST AMENDMENT to the Employment Agreement (the "Amendment")
entered into as of September 30, 1996, by and between AMERIPATH FLORIDA, INC.,
a Florida corporation (the "Company") and a wholly-owned subsidiary of
AmeriPath, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("AmeriPath"), and ALAN LEVIN, M.D. (the
"Employee").

                               R E C I T A L S

        A.          The Company and the Employee entered into an Employment 
Agreement, dated as of June 30, 1996, a copy of which is attached hereto as 
Exhibit "A" (the "Employment Agreement").

        B.          Section 27 of the Employment Agreement provides that the 
Employment Agreement may be amended by a written instrument executed by the 
Company and the Employee.

        C.          The Company and the Employee desire to amend the terms of 
the Employment Agreement in the manner set forth in this Amendment.

                              A G R E E M E N T

        In consideration of the foregoing premises and the mutual promises
hereinafter set forth and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which is acknowledged hereby, the parties hereto, intending to be
bound legally, hereby agree as follows:

        1.          The recitals set forth above are true and correct in all 
respects and are incorporated herein and made a part hereof.

        2.          All capitalized terms used in this Amendment without 
definition shall have the meanings assigned thereto in the Employment Agreement.

        3.          Section 7 of the Employment Agreement is hereby amended by 
deleting the clause "Employee shall be entitled to receive a salary at the 
annual rate of $255,000" appearing in the first sentence of such section, and 
replacing such deleted clause with the following clause:

        Employee shall be entitled to receive a salary at the annual rate of
$100,000.


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        4.          All other terms and conditions of the Employment Agreement 
shall remain unchanged.


        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have each executed this Amendment as
of the date first above-written.

                                                AMERIPATH FLORIDA, INC.

                                                By:   /s/ Robert P. Wynn
                                                   ----------------------------
                                                          Robert P. Wynn
                                                     Chief Operating Officer

                                                EMPLOYEE:

                                                /s/ Alan Levin
                                                -------------------------------
                                                ALAN LEVIN, M.D.


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                                 EXHIBIT "A"

                            EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT








                                     A-1

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