Surgeons, All Other Salary

The median surgeons, all other salary in the United States is $414,010 per year ($199.04/hour). Salaries range from $80,320 at the entry level to $655,320+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 25,140 surgeons, all other jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 3.9% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Also known asSurgeon
Median Salary
$414,010
per year
Hourly Rate
$199.04
per hour
Employment
25,140
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$80,320
25th percentile
$134,850
Median
$414,010
75th percentile
$511,420
90th percentile
$655,320

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+3.9%
As fast as average

Annual Openings

600
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Doctoral or professional degree

Training Needed

Internship/residency

Surgeons, All Other Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for surgeons, all others.

General + specialty surgeons diagnose + treat conditions requiring operative intervention. Career splits: academic (lower pay + research + teaching), private practice (highest earnings + autonomy), hospital-employed (steady salary + call), single-specialty group (partnership + productivity comp), locums (contract + travel). Path: 4 years med school + 5-7 year surgical residency + optional 1-3 year fellowship (subspecialty). Top compensation: orthopedic + neurosurgery + cardiothoracic + plastics β€” routinely $500k-$1.2M+. General surgeons $370-550k. Compensation lever: RVU-based production or fee-for-service in private practice. Malpractice premiums high (esp. neuro + OB-GYN + orthopedic).

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Operative technique + judgment
Case selection, operative approach, tissue handling, hemostasis. Volume matters β€” 200+ cases/year typical for competency in most fields.
Pre + post-operative management
Optimization, informed consent, complication recognition + management, discharge planning.
Critical care fundamentals
Trauma + acute care surgery requires ICU competency. Vasopressor management, ventilator settings, sepsis.
Anatomy + pathophysiology depth
Board-level knowledge maintained via MOC + ongoing education.
Team leadership in OR
Anesthesia, nursing, tech, resident coordination. Communication under stress.
Endoscopic + minimally-invasive techniques
Laparoscopic + robotic surgery increasingly standard. da Vinci certification required at many hospitals.
Documentation + coding
CPT coding for surgical procedures. Modifier use. Compliance with hospital + payer requirements.

How to Become a Surgeons, All Other

  1. 1
    Bachelor's + MCAT (typically 512+ for surgical fields)
    Any major with pre-med prerequisites. Research + shadowing surgeons strengthens application.
  2. 2
    Medical school (MD or DO) β€” 4 years
    Strong Step 1 + Step 2 CK + surgical rotation performance essential for surgical residency match.
  3. 3
    Surgical residency (5-7 years depending on specialty)
    General surgery = 5 yrs. Ortho = 5 yrs. Neurosurgery = 7 yrs. Plastic = 6 yrs integrated or 3+3. Cardiothoracic = 5+3 traditional or 6 yr integrated.
  4. 4
    Board certification (ABS, ABOS, ABNS, etc.)
    Written + oral boards after residency. Required for hospital privileges + insurance credentialing.
  5. 5
    Optional fellowship (1-3 years)
    Trauma, MIS, colorectal, endocrine, HPB, breast, oncology, transplant, vascular, pediatric. Each opens narrower + higher-paying niche.
  6. 6
    First attending job
    Academic (lower pay + research), hospital-employed (steady + call), private practice group (partnership track + higher potential).
  7. 7
    Partner or equity in practice
    Private practice partnership typically 2-3 year buy-in track. Equity + real estate opportunities distinct from base comp.

Career Progression

PGY-1 to PGY-5+ Resident
0-5 to 0-7 yrs$65-85k/year salary
  • β€’Progressive OR + patient responsibility
  • β€’80-hour work weeks
  • β€’Board prep
Next: Fellowship or attending.
Fellow (Subspecialty)
5-8 yrs$75-95k/year
  • β€’Subspecialty training
  • β€’Research + presentations
  • β€’Building attending-level skill
Next: Subspecialty attending.
Attending Surgeon (Academic / Employed / New Partner)
0-5 post-training yrsGeneral $370-500k Β· Subspecialty $450-800k Β· Ortho / neuro / cardiothoracic $500-1M+
  • β€’Independent OR + clinic
  • β€’Call coverage
  • β€’Building referral base + reputation
Next: Senior attending or partnership.
Senior Attending / Partner / Section Chief
5-15 yrs$500-950k Β· Ortho / neuro top $800k-$1.5M+ Β· Cash-only plastic $600k-$2M+
  • β€’Established practice + referral network
  • β€’Complex case management
  • β€’Mentorship + section leadership
Next: Department chief or practice ownership.
Department Chief / Practice Owner / Medical Director
15+ yrs$650k-$1.5M+ Β· Practice owner $800k-$3M+ depending on scale
  • β€’Departmental oversight + strategy
  • β€’Business + P&L (private practice)
  • β€’Board + governance work

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 12 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through a difficult surgical case you managed.case
STAR. Real case (de-identified). Preop assessment + operative decision-making + intraop challenges + postop management + outcome. Own the complications honestly. Screens for judgment + case complexity + honesty.
Q2. How do you handle a complication?situational
Concrete: Recognize early + honest communication with patient + family. Immediate management. Peer + M&M review. Documentation + system change if applicable. Never hide. Screens for accountability + safety culture.
Q3. Tell me about a time you disagreed with anesthesia or a colleague in the OR.behavioral
STAR. Respectful direct communication. Patient safety first. Debrief after. Never public conflict during case. Screens for team leadership.
Q4. Why our practice / hospital / academic center?culture
Research required: case volume, surgical mix, technology, team, growth. Concrete citation. Not: 'Location.' Screens for career fit.
Q5. How do you decide when NOT to operate?case
Concrete: Risk-benefit analysis + comorbidity assessment + patient goals of care + alternatives (medical management, watchful waiting, referral). Documentation of non-operative decision. Screens for surgical judgment (huge red flag if answer is 'I always operate').

Resume Template β€” Attending Surgeon (0-5 yrs post-training)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Attending Surgeon (0-5 yrs post-training)
  • β–ΈAttending Surgeon, [Department], [Institution]. Board certified in [specialty]. 2024 case volume: 340 major operations + 480 endoscopic procedures.
  • β–ΈM&M presentation for 3 institution-wide quality reviews. Zero unexpected 30-day mortality in 2024.
  • β–ΈRecruited to lead department's robotic surgery program; grew program from 40 to 180 cases annually in 18 months.
  • β–ΈPrecept [X] residents + [Y] students. Rated top-quartile teacher on annual resident evaluations.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Board complaints or malpractice history without honest disclosure.
  • βœ—Weak operative case volume during training.
  • βœ—Poor team communication or OR behavior (screaming, blame culture).
  • βœ—Discomfort with complications or M&M presentations.
  • βœ—Inability to articulate a technical error and its lesson.
  • βœ—Weak understanding of coding + documentation compliance.
  • βœ—Bad-mouthing prior training program, hospital, or colleagues.
  • βœ—History of unexpectedly-high complication rates.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“Base + productivity (RVU or fee-for-service) + quality metrics.
  • βœ“Sign-on bonus $50-200k common; higher for subspecialty + rural.
  • βœ“Educational loan repayment $100-300k over 3-5 years.
  • βœ“Relocation + real estate assistance.
  • βœ“Malpractice tail coverage (occurrence policy vs claims-made).
  • βœ“Partnership track timeline + buy-in structure.
  • βœ“Call schedule + call pay + backup coverage.
  • βœ“OR block time allocation.
  • βœ“CME budget $10-25k/year.
  • βœ“Retirement + pension + deferred comp.
  • βœ“Research protected time (academic).
  • βœ“Non-compete radius + duration.

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  • βœ“ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Surgeons, All Other Career Kit β€” $19

  • βœ“ All 12 interview questions with expert answers
  • βœ“ 10 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
  • βœ“ Interview format intel for 7 top employers
  • βœ“ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
  • βœ“ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
  • βœ“ Detailed salary negotiation script
  • βœ“ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
  • βœ“ Downloadable PDF for offline access
  • βœ“ Instant access, no expiration, no subscription
βœ“ 7-day money-back guarantee β€” no questions asked

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Surgeons, All Other Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$132K
$605Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

North Dakota
$605K
+46%
Minnesota
$568K
+37%
Ohio
$554K
+34%
Oklahoma
$554K
+34%
New Hampshire
$535K
+29%
Georgia
$502K
+21%
Washington
$479K
+16%
West Virginia
$468K
+13%
Indiana
$459K
+11%
Vermont
$439K
+6%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
North Dakota$604,890+46.1%
Minnesota$568,150+37.2%
Ohio$554,220+33.9%
Oklahoma$553,790+33.8%
New Hampshire$534,870+29.2%
Georgia$502,070+21.3%
Washington$479,460+15.8%
West Virginia$468,210+13.1%
Indiana$459,300+10.9%
Vermont$438,530+5.9%
1–10 of 36

Surgeons, All Other Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$762,360+84.1%
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC$630,540+52.3%
Charleston, WV$619,320+49.6%
Toledo, OH$618,680+49.4%
Columbus, OH$609,450+47.2%
Fargo, ND-MN$604,890+46.1%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$568,150+37.2%
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$561,070+35.5%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$535,800+29.4%
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$529,100+27.8%
1–10 of 57
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A surgeons, all other earning $414,010/year would need 144 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 155 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how surgeons, all other salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Surgeons, All Other salary trend (2011–2024) β†’