National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Surgeons at $297,800/year. Surgeons earn 104% more nationally. The gap is $152,040 per year — or $12,670 per month.
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Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Surgeon
$297,800
national median/year
$24,817/mo • $143/hr
Annual salary gap
$152,040
Surgeons earn 104% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $1,723,418.
Best states for Surgeons
vs Lawyers
Alaska+$193,680
Hawaii+$189,680
Oregon+$179,680
South Dakota+$179,680
Utah+$175,680
Best states for Lawyers
vs Surgeons
New York+$-139,680
Texas+$-146,680
Georgia+$-149,680
Louisiana+$-153,680
Massachusetts+$-153,680
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Surgeons earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $297,800 for Surgeons — a difference of $152,040 per year or $12,670 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Surgeons is $152,040 per year. Surgeons earn 104% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $1,723,418.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, New York pays Lawyers the highest median salary at $188,320 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. Lawyers 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, Lawyers earn approximately $70 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.
