Surgeon salary and education: what each kind of surgeon earns and needs.
“Surgeon” is a family of jobs, not one occupation. Here is what each one pays, how many people do it, the education BLS lists to start, and where it is heading, from U.S. government data.
$369,540
Median annual wage, May 2025, 49,380 employed.
Surgeons in the United States earned a median annual wage of $369,540 in May 2025, according to BLS. Across the 4 occupations on this page, medians ran from $300,080 (ophthalmologists) to $559,030 (pediatric surgeons). BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education for each of them.
Surgeons at a glance
BLS counted 49,380 surgeons employed in the United States in May 2025.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Surgeons, All Other are the largest occupation on this page, with 25,140 employed and a median annual wage of $414,010 in May 2025 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Among the occupations on this page, pediatric surgeons had the highest median annual wage in May 2025: $559,030 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS projects employment of ophthalmologists, except pediatric to grow 4.5% from 2025 to 2035, the fastest projected change among the occupations on this page.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
What each kind of surgeon earns
Data One row per BLS occupation, sorted by median annual pay. Hourly pay is shown only where BLS publishes it.
| Occupation (BLS title) | Median annual pay | Median hourly | Employed | Typical entry-level education | Projected change 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatric Surgeons | $559,030 | $268.76 | 1,190 | Doctoral or professional degree | +2.0% |
| Surgeons, All Other | $414,010 | $199.04 | 25,140 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.0% |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $358,550 | $172.38 | 14,100 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.0% |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $300,080 | $144.27 | 8,950 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.5% |
Data Outside the group: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons earned a median of $352,220 in May 2025 (4,910 employed; BLS typical entry-level education: a doctoral or professional degree).
What education do you need to be a surgeon?
Data BLS typical entry-level education by occupation, 2025–35 projections. Typical, not a legal requirement; licensing rules vary by state, so check your state's licensing board.
- Doctoral or professional degreePediatric Surgeons; Surgeons, All Other; Orthopedic Surgeons; Ophthalmologists
Surgeons and related careers
Data BLS group medians, May 2025. Each group is a different set of occupations; no group is better.
| Career family | BLS group | Median annual pay | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surgeons | Surgeons | $369,540 | 49,380 |
| Doctors | Physicians | $271,090 | 754,760 |
How this page is built
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS national estimates for May 2025, for each BLS detailed occupation listed. The family figure is the BLS Surgeons group (29-1240), as published by BLS, not a TryHired calculation. Typical entry-level education and projected change are from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Which occupations count is a TryHired editorial choice, listed below.
Which occupations this page counts. Counted: every occupation in the BLS Surgeons group (29-1240): ophthalmologists, orthopedic surgeons, pediatric surgeons and surgeons in all other specialties. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are dentists in BLS data and are shown separately below the table. Physicians who are not surgeons are on the doctor page.
- Pay at a specific employer, union contract or school district.
- Licensing or certification rules in your state.
- Which of these careers suits you personally.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025–35 (public domain): typical entry-level education and projected employment change.