National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Surgeons earn a national median of $297,800/year vs Cloud Engineers at $138,000/year. Surgeons earn 54% more nationally. The gap is $159,800 per year — or $13,317 per month.
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Surgeon
$297,800
national median/year
$24,817/mo • $143/hr
VS
Cloud Engineer
$138,000
national median/year
$11,500/mo • $66/hr
Annual salary gap
$159,800
Surgeons earn 54% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $1,811,380.
Best states for Cloud Engineers
vs Surgeons
Georgia+$-148,000
Virginia+$-150,000
Washington+$-150,000
Colorado+$-154,000
North Carolina+$-155,000
Best states for Surgeons
vs Cloud Engineers
Alaska+$192,000
Hawaii+$184,000
Connecticut+$176,000
Wisconsin+$172,000
New Jersey+$171,000
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Surgeons earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Surgeons is $297,800 versus $138,000 for Cloud Engineers — a difference of $159,800 per year or $13,317 per month.
The national median salary gap between Surgeons and Cloud Engineers is $159,800 per year. Surgeons earn 54% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $1,811,380.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Surgeons the highest median salary at $338,000 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Cloud Engineers the highest median salary at $178,000 per year.
Salary is one factor — Surgeons earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Surgeons and Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts 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, Surgeons earn approximately $143 per hour nationally and Cloud Engineers earn approximately $66 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.
