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How much money do surgeons make? Do men and women earn the same amount of money?
I know working as a surgeon is a lot so, one thing I never thought of is how much they earn !
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4 answers
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Fred’s Answer
I am not a doctor.
This is not a simple question. How much they make depends on where they work, what kind of surgery they do, how long they have been doing it, and so on. A quick google search returns a range from 40k/year (which sounds low to me, but again, I'm not a doctor) up to 560k/year.
If you are thinking of being a surgeon, you should consider other factors. College/med school debt will be very high. The hours may not be what you want. It is a job where you are on your feet most of the time. And many other factors.
Do men and women make the same money? Also a very hard question. Most employers will SAY they pay the same, but the research may not bear that out. Traditionally, women have made less than men. It's getting better, but there is still a way to go. And many people don't like talking about salary, so getting good data is also very difficult.
This is not a simple question. How much they make depends on where they work, what kind of surgery they do, how long they have been doing it, and so on. A quick google search returns a range from 40k/year (which sounds low to me, but again, I'm not a doctor) up to 560k/year.
If you are thinking of being a surgeon, you should consider other factors. College/med school debt will be very high. The hours may not be what you want. It is a job where you are on your feet most of the time. And many other factors.
Do men and women make the same money? Also a very hard question. Most employers will SAY they pay the same, but the research may not bear that out. Traditionally, women have made less than men. It's getting better, but there is still a way to go. And many people don't like talking about salary, so getting good data is also very difficult.
Thank you for giving me advice.
Carmen
Updated
Courtney’s Answer
Carmen C,
That is actually a fairly complex question. I hope I do the answer justice.
"Surgeons" encompasses a lot of professionals. I will speak mostly to my specialty, general surgery. General surgeons are probably the most represented in the group "surgeons". We enjoyed some exposure to most of the subspecialties during training. Now, general surgeons are the ones who do the common procedures you hear about such as surgeries for appendicitis, (appendectomies), hernia repair, gallbladder surgeries, etc. General surgeons are also the ones who take care of trauma victims, that is, gun shot wound victims, victims of car crashes, etc, though there are more who go on to more specialized trauma training for this specialty.
The average salaries for general surgeons covers a broad range. This link is from Salary.com. Please take a look:
https://www.salary.com/research/salary/alternate/general-surgeon-salary
The subspecialty surgeons are surgeons such as plastic surgeons (very popular), colo-rectal surgeons (large intestine), vascular surgeons (blood vessels) etc.
Training for general surgery is traditionally 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, then 5 years of residency training. Subspecialties such as vascular surgery and colorectal surgery complete a general surgery residency, then go on to additional training in "fellowship" in their subspecialties. Indeed, the time commitment is tremendous.
Sadly, there is a disparity in pay in healthcare, just like there is in other disciplines. This has been documented in the past:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/erinspencer1/2020/01/29/study-reveals-gender-gap-in-salary-predictions-for-surgery-residents/?sh=571c41273ecc
Please make sure you choose what you love and love what you choose as there will be many challenges, seen and unseen as you try to achieve your goals.
That is actually a fairly complex question. I hope I do the answer justice.
"Surgeons" encompasses a lot of professionals. I will speak mostly to my specialty, general surgery. General surgeons are probably the most represented in the group "surgeons". We enjoyed some exposure to most of the subspecialties during training. Now, general surgeons are the ones who do the common procedures you hear about such as surgeries for appendicitis, (appendectomies), hernia repair, gallbladder surgeries, etc. General surgeons are also the ones who take care of trauma victims, that is, gun shot wound victims, victims of car crashes, etc, though there are more who go on to more specialized trauma training for this specialty.
The average salaries for general surgeons covers a broad range. This link is from Salary.com. Please take a look:
https://www.salary.com/research/salary/alternate/general-surgeon-salary
The subspecialty surgeons are surgeons such as plastic surgeons (very popular), colo-rectal surgeons (large intestine), vascular surgeons (blood vessels) etc.
Training for general surgery is traditionally 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, then 5 years of residency training. Subspecialties such as vascular surgery and colorectal surgery complete a general surgery residency, then go on to additional training in "fellowship" in their subspecialties. Indeed, the time commitment is tremendous.
Sadly, there is a disparity in pay in healthcare, just like there is in other disciplines. This has been documented in the past:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/erinspencer1/2020/01/29/study-reveals-gender-gap-in-salary-predictions-for-surgery-residents/?sh=571c41273ecc
Please make sure you choose what you love and love what you choose as there will be many challenges, seen and unseen as you try to achieve your goals.
Updated
Diane’s Answer
Hi,
I am not a Surgeon, I am a Pathologist (different kind of doctor). But I wanted to give a general answer. First, I agree with a lot of what Fred said. There are many different kinds of surgeon (from a general surgeon who can do a lot of different surgeries to very specialized surgeons like brain surgeons, heart surgeons, plastic surgeons, etc). I went to Zip Recruiter and found that an average salary for a general surgeon in the United States is $334,587 a year. This seems fairly accurate because I checked what they said was the average salary for a Pathologist and it seemed reasonable.
And yes, in general female doctors make less than male doctors. Here is a New York Times article from 2021 in which they summarize findings from a survey of 80,000 doctors in the United States. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/06/health/women-doctors-salary-pay-gap.html
Keep in mind that after college, when you get into medical school, you will be exposed to many different areas of medicine. A lot of doctors pick their future careers while they are in medical school. I had no idea that I would end up a Pathologist. So keep an open mind and do a lot of research about the amount of time and effort it would take to be a doctor. College is 4 years, medical school is 4 years, residency is usually 4 years and you may end up doing a longer residency and/or fellowships. So it's a minimum of 12 years and a LOT of work. Good luck.
I am not a Surgeon, I am a Pathologist (different kind of doctor). But I wanted to give a general answer. First, I agree with a lot of what Fred said. There are many different kinds of surgeon (from a general surgeon who can do a lot of different surgeries to very specialized surgeons like brain surgeons, heart surgeons, plastic surgeons, etc). I went to Zip Recruiter and found that an average salary for a general surgeon in the United States is $334,587 a year. This seems fairly accurate because I checked what they said was the average salary for a Pathologist and it seemed reasonable.
And yes, in general female doctors make less than male doctors. Here is a New York Times article from 2021 in which they summarize findings from a survey of 80,000 doctors in the United States. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/06/health/women-doctors-salary-pay-gap.html
Keep in mind that after college, when you get into medical school, you will be exposed to many different areas of medicine. A lot of doctors pick their future careers while they are in medical school. I had no idea that I would end up a Pathologist. So keep an open mind and do a lot of research about the amount of time and effort it would take to be a doctor. College is 4 years, medical school is 4 years, residency is usually 4 years and you may end up doing a longer residency and/or fellowships. So it's a minimum of 12 years and a LOT of work. Good luck.
Updated
Hosia’s Answer
Good day, although not a surgeon, a key consideration for any career choice is the cost of the education necessary to obtain the degree or career. Some students search for a career based on the benefits of the career, including the annual salary; however, the cost of the journey during school, along with the actual cost of one's education needs careful consideration.
After achieving the degree and professional status, there are additional costs associated with maintaining your new "professional" status and or licensure. These include continuing education requirements, professional licensure fees (state and national), professional organizations, and additional professional insurances/certifications/licensures (all with annual fees).
This may sound overwhelming, and often many students shy away or delay entering school as the commitment of time and money can seem daunting or impossible to manage; however, as an academic advisor, I would often recommend to students the following advice: if you are prepared, passionate about your chosen profession, and have a support system/plan set-up for success...JUMP IN and DON'T DELAY! The time will fly by quicker than you can imagine, and the reward will outweigh the financial commitment you put in or aspire to get out.
The best resource is the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, where physicians/surgeons are usually shown to make approx. $200,000 per year. Here it is more important to understand that this depends on where you practice, what area of medicine your practice in, and that specialty areas of practice will be in more demand and thus require more time to achieve (Board Certifications) and more income potential. There is great information on how the industry (in this case surgeons) is doing as far as demand, and how much demand there will be for them in the future.
Hope you find this helpful, good luck!
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm
After achieving the degree and professional status, there are additional costs associated with maintaining your new "professional" status and or licensure. These include continuing education requirements, professional licensure fees (state and national), professional organizations, and additional professional insurances/certifications/licensures (all with annual fees).
This may sound overwhelming, and often many students shy away or delay entering school as the commitment of time and money can seem daunting or impossible to manage; however, as an academic advisor, I would often recommend to students the following advice: if you are prepared, passionate about your chosen profession, and have a support system/plan set-up for success...JUMP IN and DON'T DELAY! The time will fly by quicker than you can imagine, and the reward will outweigh the financial commitment you put in or aspire to get out.
The best resource is the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, where physicians/surgeons are usually shown to make approx. $200,000 per year. Here it is more important to understand that this depends on where you practice, what area of medicine your practice in, and that specialty areas of practice will be in more demand and thus require more time to achieve (Board Certifications) and more income potential. There is great information on how the industry (in this case surgeons) is doing as far as demand, and how much demand there will be for them in the future.
Hope you find this helpful, good luck!
Hosia recommends the following next steps: