Performance and power scalability of resonantly pumped Tm-doped fiber systems are theoretically investigated. Simulations demonstrate that the 1.9 μm resonant pedestal pump provides high-power Tm-doped fiber systems with a high operation efficiency of >90%, resulting in a controllable heat waste (within 10% of the output). This limited heat greatly relieves the thermal effects inside the active fiber, eliminating transversal mode instability as a major concern for power scaling of Tm-doped fiber systems. For the widely exploited 25/250 double-clad TDF, the 10-kW-level output is attainable with the 1.9 μm resonant pump.