Surgeons are a very specialized kind of physician. They’re trained to make incisions in a person’s body to either remove or repair internal organs and parts. Their work requires an extremely high level of skill and training. Surgeons are responsible for their patients before surgery and following up with their recovery after surgery. In exchange, surgeons are some of the highest paid physicians in their fields.
As of 2019, the average surgeon salary in Georgia is $8,070 per month. This is a decrease from the previous year, which saw surgeons earn an average of $9,000 per month.
Surgeons who work in the Atlanta metro area will earn the highest salaries. Those who work in Augusta will make the least amount of money.
A general surgeon’s annual income depends on a variety of factors, from location, employer type, and work setting to years of experience in the field. Professionals employed by Kaiser Permanente typically earn an annual pay in the range from $260,000 to $305,184 a year.
General surgeons are among the best paid professionals in the United States, with a median yearly salary of $260,000, and top salaries for the profession reaching $412,000 a year according to a report by CNN Money.
Medscape’s 2013 General Surgeon Compensation Report reveals that 44% of professionals included in the survey did not see their annual salaries change from the previous year. 32% of the surgeons surveyed saw their salaries decrease, while 24% reported an increase in yearly income.
Average salary
The average salary for general surgeons employed in the United States is $250,765 a year according to Payscale’s salary statistics, and $279,000 according to Medscape’s 2013 General Surgeon Compensation Report. Men earn 29% more than women: the median annual salary for men is $290,000 a year, while women are paid $225,000 a year on average.
General surgeons employed in the Great Lakes region earn $295,000 a year on average, those working in the Northwest make $288,000 annually, and professionals based in the North East have a median annual pay of $276,000. General surgeons working in the South Central region earn around $273,000 a year, and those in the Mid-Atlantic region are paid around $271,000 a year.
The lowest salaries for the profession are in the Southeast, where general surgeons earn $265,000 a year on average, and in the West, where the median annual salary for this occupation is $258,000 a year according to Medscape.
General surgeons’ salaries also vary depending on these professionals’ work setting. General surgeons working in multispecialty group practices have the highest salaries, $338,000 a year on average, followed by those working in single-specialty group practices, who earn around $311,000 a year. General surgeons employed by healthcare organizations have a median annual salary of $310,000, while professionals who work at hospitals make $262,000 a year on average.
Surgeons working at outpatient clinics are paid around $247,000 a year, and professionals working in a solo practice make $238,000 a year on average.
General surgeons working in an academic setting have an average yearly salary of $221,000, and professionals employed in other settings are paid $201,000 annually on average according to Medscape’s 2013 salary report.
Work situation is another factor that affects a general surgeon’s salary. Professionals who are partners in their organization have the top salaries, $321,000 a year on average, while general surgeons who are employees in their organization make $277,000 annually on average. Owners of solo practices earn around $241,000 a year, and general surgeons who work as independent contractors have an average annual salary of $216,000 according to Medscape’s salary survey.
Starting salary
The starting salary for general surgeons working in the United States, who are in their first year on the job, is typically in the range from $45,302 to $304,108 a year according to the salary information provided by Payscale.
Salary by state
General surgeons’ salaries can vary significantly from state to state. Professionals employed in New York report salaries in the range from $98,633 to $384,379 a year, those based in California typically earn between $91,916 and $357,523 annually, and general surgeons working in Illinois are paid between $46,721 and $405,985 a year.
Surgeons employed in Florida earn salaries in the range from $91,916 to $327,787 annually, and those based in Texas report earning an annual income in the range between $55,643 and $339,353. General surgeons living in Virginia typically earn between $145,000 and $375,000 a year, and those working in Pennsylvania generally report an annual pay in the range from $193,916 to $334,972 according to the salary data provided by Payscale.
Salary by city
General surgeons’ annual pay can also vary from city to city. For example, professionals working in New York typically earn between $51,521 and $401,335 a year, those based in Los Angeles are paid between $140,000 and $300,000 annually, and general surgeons employed in Chicago report annual salaries in the range from $123,566 to $209,928 according to Payscale’s salary data.
General surgeons based in Boston generally make between $98,264 and $254,341 a year, and those working in Miami earn salaries in the range from $90,000 to $190,000 a year. The salary range for professionals employed in Atlanta goes from $45,000 to $274,000 annually, while general surgeons working in Phoenix typically earn an annual pay in the range from $199,989 to $300,000 a year according to Payscale.
General Surgeons
As the name implies, general surgeons receive training to perform a range of procedures. They operate on such common medical issues as hernias, appendicitis and problems with the gallbladder, stomach and intestines. General surgeons also have the knowledge to deal with critical care, oncology and trauma. All types of surgeons must begin their training as general surgeons before they can move on to a specialty.
According to salary.com, the median salary for a general surgeon is $374,310. The lowest 10 percent average $264,228, while the highest 10 percent have an average income of $444,728.
Neurological Surgeons
Neurological surgeons deal with problems associated with the nervous system. This includes the brain, spinal cord and other nerves of the body.
Neurosurgeons are first trained as general surgeons for about five years and then receive several additional years of specialized training in neurosurgery for adults and children. This training teaches them to diagnose, treat and perform surgery to cure issues that appear in the nervous system.
Some neurosurgeons become further specialized and only practice on specific areas. They may focus on brain surgery or only on the neck or spine.
The median income of neurosurgeons is $580,362. The lowest 10 percent earn $306,279, and the top 10 percent bring in an average of $734,317.
Orthopedic Surgeons
Orthopedic surgeons diagnose and treat musculoskeletal injuries and diseases. They cast broken bones, splint limbs, reattach tendons and perform hip and knee replacements. While they’re trained as surgeons, as much as 50 percent of their treatments involve noninvasive procedures with drug prescriptions and therapeutic exercises.
Orthopedic surgeons have a median income of $463,731. The top 10 percent bring in an average of $599,983, and the lowest 10 percent earn $274,310.
Plastic Surgeons
The most serious work of a plastic surgeon is to repair damage resulting from tragic accidents and to perform skin grafts from burns. However, the more well-known facet of their work is performing cosmetic surgical procedures to enhance one’s appearance.
The top 10 percent of plastic surgeons will average $464,731. The lowest 10 percent are paid an average of $257,239, and the median income for all plastic surgeons is $374,485.
Cardiothoracic Surgeons
Cardiothoracic surgeons specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and surgery of patients who have medical issues with their hearts and lungs. Heart surgeons need about 10 years of training and are among the most highly skilled in their field. Their work is very stressful since they’re often dealing with life-and-death issues.
A heart surgeon’s salary is a median of $449,624. The upper 10 percent bring in an average of $563,608, while the lower 10 percent earns $279,222.
