Average Surgeon Salary

Medicine can be a lucrative and rewarding career path, and this is especially true for specialists, like surgeons. According to the Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2019, the average surgeon salary for general surgeons is $362,000 per year.  That number can be even higher for surgeons who specialize in fields like orthopedics, plastic surgery, or otolaryngology.

Average Surgeon Salary is Up

The average salary for general surgeons is up significantly from last year. In 2018’s report by Medscape, the average surgeon salary was $322,000 per year. This year’s average is $40,000 higher, at $362,000 per year. That’s an increase of more than 12%.

This increase can be attributed to an aging Baby Boomer population. As this large generation enters their senior years, the demand for medical specialists, including surgeons, is expected to increase.

And since seniors over the age of 65 make up 14% of the population, surgeons can expect their specialty to grow even more all-important over the coming decades.

Top Industries for Surgeons

As a surgeon, you have your choice of many industries in which you can work, from private practice to large hospital settings, as well as jobs in education and management.

Two factors to consider are the top-paying industries for surgeons and the sectors which employ the most significant number of surgeons. Luckily for surgeons, these two lists overlap in several instances.

Top-Paying Industries for Surgeons

As a surgeon, one of the biggest things that will impact your salary is the industry in which you work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) breaks down the top-paying industries for surgeons:

1. Offices of Dentists
2. Management of Companies and Enterprises
3. Outpatient Care Centers
4. Offices of Physicians
5. Specialty (Except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals

Top-Employing Industries for Surgeons

The above industries may pay the most, but as a surgeon, you’re most likely to find work in one of the following industries, in this order, according to the BLS:

1. Offices of Physicians
2. General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
3. Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
4. Outpatient Care Centers
5. Specialty (Except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals

According to the Medscape data, 30% of surgeons work in hospitals, while 19% work in office-based single-specialty group practices. Other common work locations include office-based multispecialty group practices at 15% and office-based solo practices at 14%. A significant portion—13% of respondents—work for healthcare organizations, while 6% of respondents work in academic research, military, or government.

Self-Employed vs. Employed Average Surgeon Salary

As with most medical specialties, self-employed surgeons earn more, on average, than employed surgeons. As a group, independent surgeons tend to be older than employed surgeons. This may account for some of the pay difference (as you get older and gain experience, you get paid more).

Medscape’s 2019 Physician Compensation Report shows that self-employed surgeons earn an average salary of $386,000, while employed surgeons earn an average salary of $348,000.

Keep in mind, a self-employed surgeon takes on the responsibilities of a business owner, as well as those of a medical provider.

Owners of solo practices reported that 44% of their income, on average, went to overhead expenses. Surgeons who owned group practices said that, on average, 39% of their income went to overhead costs. Surgeons who were partners in their practices responded that an average of 33% of their revenues went toward overhead expenses each year.

Average Surgeon Salary vs. Other Medical Specialties

The average surgeon salary compares well to the wages of other medical careers. According to Medscape’s Physician Wealth and Debt Report 2019, the average primary care physician earns $237,000 per year. This is significantly lower than the average surgeon salary.

Medical specialists (with all specialties combined) earn an average salary of $341,000 per year. This still puts the average surgeon salary at the top.

The highest-paid medical specialty in 2019 was orthopedics, with an average salary of $482,000. The lowest-paid medical specialty in 2019 was Public Health and Preventative Medicine, with an average salary of $209,000.

Comparing Medical Specialties

If you choose a surgical specialty outside of general surgery, your salary potential can be significantly higher.

When looking at the Medscape physician specialty data below, the average salary for your career may be categorized by its specialty.

The category  “Surgery, General” applies to general surgeons only. But as a surgeon with at least general surgery credentials, you can expect your average earning potential to fall at or above this amount.

An orthopedic surgeon’s salary would be categorized with “Orthopedics,” and a plastic surgeon’s salary would be categorized with “Plastic Surgery,” rather than with “Surgery, General.”

1. Orthopedics – $482K
2. Plastic Surgery – $471K
3. Otolaryngology – $461K
4. Cardiology – $430K
5. Dermatology – $419K
6. Radiology – $419K
7. Gastroenterology – $417K
8. Urology – $408K
9. Anesthesiology – $392K
10. Ophthalmology – $366K
11. Surgery, General – $362K
12. Oncology – $359K
13. Emergency Medicine – $353K
14. Critical Care – $349K
15. Pulmonary Medicine – $331K
16. Pathology – $308K
17. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation – $306K
18. Nephrology – $305K
19. Ob/Gyn – $303K
20. Allergy and Immunology – $275K
21. Neurology – $267K
22. Psychiatry – $260K
23. Rheumatology – $259K
24. Internal Medicine – $243K
25. Infectious Diseases – $239K
26. Diabetes and Endocrinology – $236K
27. Family Medicine – $231K
28. Pediatrics – $225K
29. Public Health and Preventative Medicine – $209K

How to Earn More as a Surgeon: Surgery Specialties

Physicians in most fields can earn higher salaries by specializing even further in their chosen areas. As a surgeon, subspecializing can make you more competitive in the workforce and make you more valuable to employers.

What Are the 14 Surgery Specialties?

The American College of Surgeons recognizes the following 14 surgical specialties:

1. General Surgery
2. Thoracic Surgery
3. Colon and Rectal Surgery
4. Obstetrics and Gynecology
5. Gynecologic Oncology
6. Neurological Surgery
7. Ophthalmic Surgery
8. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
9. Orthopedic Surgery
   • Includes the following areas of specialization:
     • Hand Surgery
     • Sports Medicine
     • Pediatric Orthopedics
     • Spine Surgery
     • Foot and Ankle Orthopedics
     • Joint Replacement
     • Trauma Surgery
     • Oncology
10. Otolaryngology
11. Pediatric Surgery
    • Includes the following areas of specialization:
      • Neonatal
      • Prenatal
      • Trauma
      • Pediatric Oncology
12. Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery
    • Includes the following area of specialization:
      • Hand Surgery
13. Urology
14. Vascular Surgery

Why Specializing Matters

Earning board certification as a surgical specialist allows you to enter a higher salary bracket.

The average surgeon salary for general surgeons is $362,000 per year, as discussed above. However, specializing in a field like obstetrics, neurology, or orthopedics would change your average salary potential, according to the data offered by the Medscape report.

Specializing in the field of orthopedics, for example, can put you within the highest-paid earning category for doctors, “Orthopedics,” which has an average salary of $482,000 according to Medscape’s report.

Plastic Surgery is the second-highest paid medical specialty overall, with an average surgeon salary of $471,000.

Best Locations for Surgeons

Another factor that impacts your salary potential as a surgeon is where you choose to live. Some states and municipalities offer higher average salaries to surgeons. However, such locations may also have higher costs of living.

Best States for Surgeons

Top-Paying States for Surgeons

The BLS lists the following as the top-paying states for surgeons in the United States:

1. Wyoming
2. Wisconsin
3. Utah
4. South Dakota
5. South Carolina

Top-Employing States for Surgeons

The BLS lists the following as the states with the highest levels of employment for surgeons in the United States:

1. California
2. Ohio
3. Massachusetts
4. New York
5. Florida

Best Cities for Surgeons

Top-Paying Cities for Surgeons

If you’re a surgeon, you can earn the highest salary in the following metropolitan areas, according to the BLS:

1. Portsmouth, NH-ME
2. Manchester, NH
3. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
4. Wausau, WI
5. Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC

Top-Employing Cities for Surgeons

You’re most likely to find employment as a surgeon in one of the following metropolitan areas, according to the BLS:

1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
2. Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
3. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
4. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
5. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Best Rural Areas for Surgeons

Top-Paying Rural Areas for Surgeons

You can earn the highest salary in these top-paying nonmetropolitan areas, according to BLS data:

1. Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area
2. East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area
3. Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area
4. Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area
5. North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (non-contiguous)

Top-Employing Rural Areas for Surgeons

The following nonmetropolitan areas have the highest levels of employment for surgeons, according to BLS data:

1. West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area
2. Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area
3. Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area
4. North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area
5. Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area

Surgeon Job Satisfaction

As with any job or career, there’s more to consider than salary. If you’re not satisfied with your job, no matter how high-paying it may be, you’re less likely to stay employed in that job for very long. So, how satisfied are surgeons with their careers, overall?

Satisfaction with Job Performance

According to Medscape’s 2019 Report, surgeons answered the question of, “How satisfied are you with your own job performance?” as follows:

48% – Very Satisfied
44% – Satisfied
5% – Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
2% – Dissatisfied
1% – Very dissatisfied

Satisfaction with Compensation

When asked whether or not they felt fairly compensated for their work, 52% of Medscape respondents in the General Surgeon category answered, “Yes.” This number is improved over the 2014 Medscape Physician Report, at which point only 43% of general surgeons answered that they felt satisfied with their compensation.

The top score on this question was from respondents in the category of Public Health and Preventative Medicine—a relatively low-paid specialty when compared to General Surgery. A substantial majority—73% of respondents—in this specialty answered, “Yes,” when asked whether they felt fairly compensated for their work.

The lowest score was from respondents in the category of Infectious Diseases. Only 42% of respondents answered that they felt fairly compensated for their work.

Challenges and Rewards

General surgeons who responded to the Medscape survey were also asked about the most challenging—and most rewarding—parts of their jobs.

Here’s how respondents answered when asked what the most challenging part of their job was:

31% – Having so many rules and regulations.

15% – Difficulties getting fair reimbursement.

12% – Having to work with an EHR system.

12% – Having to work long hours.

11% – Worrying about being sued.

8% – Dealing with difficult patients.

2% – Nothing.

And here’s how respondents answered when asked about the most rewarding part of their work:

32% – Gratitude/relationships with patients.

26% – Being very good at what I do/finding answers, diagnoses.

20% – Knowing that I’m making the world a better place.

11% – Making good money at a job that I like.

4% – Being proud of being a doctor.

3% – Teaching

1% – Nothing.

Is the Medical School Debt Worth It?

The average surgeon salary may be appealing at first glance. But that high number starts to shrink when you subtract your med school debt. Luckily, even with the high cost of medical school, most surgeons earn enough to compensate.

According to the Medscape Physician Wealth and Debt Report for 2019, 8% of general surgeons who responded had a net worth over $5 million, and 33% had a net worth over $2 million, putting them amongst the top 15 highest-net worth specialties. More than one in four general surgeons had mortgages over $500,000.

These numbers indicate that surgeons are able to take home most of their income, even if they must put aside some of their paychecks for student debt repayment. About 28% of general surgeons responded that they were still paying off their medical school student loans (respondents were aged 28 to over 70).

Surgeon Average Salary: Summing Up

If you’re passionate about medicine, surgery is one of the most financially—as well as mentally and emotionally—rewarding careers you could choose, according to the data offered by Medscape respondents.

When asked whether they would choose medicine again, 81% of general surgeons responded yes. When asked whether they would choose surgery again as their specialty, 82% of general surgeons answered yes.

Whether the high average surgeon salary is your motivator, or you’ve always dreamed of becoming a surgeon (or both), surgery can be counted on as a solid career choice, both now and into the future.

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