National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Doctors earn a national median of $236,000/year vs Surgeons at $297,800/year. Surgeons earn 26% more nationally. The gap is $61,800 per year — or $5,150 per month.
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Doctor
$236,000
national median/year
$19,667/mo • $113/hr
VS
Surgeon
$297,800
national median/year
$24,817/mo • $143/hr
Annual salary gap
$61,800
Surgeons earn 26% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $700,521.
Best states for Surgeons
vs Doctors
California+$85,680
New York+$75,680
Washington+$73,680
New Jersey+$72,680
Connecticut+$69,680
Best states for Doctors
vs Surgeons
Mississippi+$-39,680
Louisiana+$-43,680
Oklahoma+$-43,680
West Virginia+$-43,680
Alabama+$-46,680
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Surgeons earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Doctors is $236,000 versus $297,800 for Surgeons — a difference of $61,800 per year or $5,150 per month.
The national median salary gap between Doctors and Surgeons is $61,800 per year. Surgeons earn 26% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $700,521.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Massachusetts pays Doctors the highest median salary at $258,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Surgeons the highest median salary at $338,000 per year.
Salary is one factor — Surgeons earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Physicians and Surgeons and Surgeons both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Doctors earn approximately $113 per hour nationally and Surgeons earn approximately $143 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
