What is the salary for a general surgeon?
LocumTenens.com conducted its Annual Salary and Employment Survey in May of 2021. Survey respondents represent general surgeons who practice on a locum tenens basis as well as those with permanent salaries. Compensation results consist of only full-time, permanent employees and consider only annual salary and bonuses.
Average surgeon salary
$391,583
Historical salary data
How does this year's salary for surgeons compare to other years?
The average general surgeon’s salary rose in 2020, despite about 55% of surgeons reporting a decrease in workload due to COVID-19.
To learn more about how physician trends changed due to COVID-19, view the full report here.
Survey results
Demographic insights by gender
In 2020, the gender gap between male and female surgeons widened.
Male
84%5% increase
Female
16%5% decrease
Where did general surgeons work in 2020?
In 2020 most general surgeons worked in hospitals.
Hospital employed
67%
Clinic or community center
10%
Group practice
10%
RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
Surgeons who took this survey
In 2020 most general surgeons worked in the southwest. Most are from the baby boomer generation (born between 1946 and 1964) and have been practicing for more than 21 years. More than half of all respondents were full-time employed physicians.
To learn more about how physician trends changed due to COVID-19, view the full report here.
By region
Years in practice
Employment status
How old are surgeons?
Methodology
Invitations for the survey were emailed to a database of more than 220,000 healthcare professionals in May 2021. Some recipients had been placed by LocumTenens.com, and some had not. There was a total of 2300 respondents, both physicians and advanced practitioners, who were self-selected and spanned all 50 states.