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General Surgeon Salary Guide: 2024 Compensation Trends & Influencing Factors

Current Compensation Data

Source: Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) 2021 data (most recent comprehensive dataset; 2024 reports pending)

Median Total Cash Compensation: $317,000
25th-75th Percentile Range: $265,000 - $415,000
90th Percentile: >$550,000

Key Compensation Drivers

1. Geographic Location

Highest: Northeast, West Coast, major metros (NYC, LA, Boston, SF)
Lowest: Rural Midwest, South (though lower cost of living)
Variance: 30-50% between highest/lowest regions

2. Experience Level

Early career (0-5 yrs): $250K-$320K
Mid-career (6-15 yrs): $320K-$420K
Late career (16+ yrs): $350K-$500K+

3. Practice Setting

4. Subspecialty/Focus

Trauma/Acute Care Surgery: Premium for call burden
Surgical Oncology (HPB, colorectal): Higher RVU procedures
Bariatric/Metabolic: High volume, facility fees
Minimally Invasive/Robotic: Market demand premium
Pediatric Surgery: Separate compensation benchmarks

5. Additional Compensation Elements

Call pay: $500-$1,500/shift (trauma higher)
Quality/value-based bonuses: 5-15% of base
Productivity bonuses (wRVU thresholds)
Signing bonuses: $25K-$100K (competitive markets)
Retirement: 401k/403b match (3-6%), profit sharing
CME allowance: $3K-$5K/year
Malpractice: Occurrence vs claims-made; tail coverage

2024 Market Trends

Increasing hospital employment (70%+ of surgeons)
RVU-based models dominant
Work-life balance negotiations (call frequency, OR block time)
Non-compete scrutiny (state-dependent)

Cosmetic Surgery - Related Articles

Setting	Typical Range	Notes
Hospital-employed	$300K-$450K	RVU-based + quality bonuses; benefits
Academic Medical Center	$250K-$380K	Lower base; research/teaching time; loan forgiveness
Private Practice (Single/Multi-specialty)	$300K-$500K+	Ownership equity; higher risk; buy-in required
Locum Tenens	$1,200-$1,800/day	No benefits; travel/housing covered