A Look at Surgeons Salaries

When it comes to compensation for doctors, surgeons salaries rank near the top of the list, according to a variety of salary surveys. The training for a surgeon tends to be longer than many other medical specialties and many surgeons face life-and-death situations on a more regular basis than other physicians. After medical school, many surgeons spend 3 to 8 years in a residency and some spent more time completing a fellowship that can be as much as another 4 to 5 years.

Top 5 Surgeons Salaries

The American Medical Group Association conducts a salary survey every year taking a look at the salaries of physicians in many ways - starting salary, median salary and the average salaries in geographic regions of the country. There are 69 doctor specialties included in the 2009 survey, including a majority of surgery specialties. What follows are the top 5 and bottom 5 salaries for surgeons within the AMGA study.

1. $641,728 - Spine surgeon - Much like a neurosurgeon and trained similarly, except a spine surgeon probably handles more cases involving body deformities while neurosurgeons generally handle more surgery for tumors.
2. $580,711 - Orthopedic joint replacement - A subspecialty of orthopedic surgery gaining in popularity. Surgery involves removing the damaged joint, where two or more bones meet, and putting in a new one. Joins include the knee, hip and shoulder.
3. $548,186 - Neurological surgeon - Diagnoses and treats, both with surgery and without, disorder s in the brain, spinal cord, spinal column and peripheral areas.
4. $507,143 - Cardiac and Thoracic surgeon - Focuses on conditions of the chest and heart, including lung cancers and cancers in the chest wall and esophagus, coronary artery disease and abnormalities and congenital anomalies of the heart, its vessels and valves.
5. $476,083 - Orthopedic surgeon - Focuses on the treatment and restoration of the function of the extremities, spine and associated structures.

Bottom 5 Surgeons Salaries

1. $340,000 - General surgeon - Diagnoses and treats conditions requiring surgery to most areas of the body, from the head and neck to the abdomen and extremities and the vascular and endocrine systems.
2. $348,000 - Kidney transplant surgeon - Focuses on patients with dealing with chronic renal disease, including end-stage renal disease.
3. $366,895 - Colon and rectal surgeon - Diagnoses and treats diseases and conditions that afflict the colon, rectum, anal canal, intestinal tract and perianal area. Surgical procedures include those for cancer, diverticulitis and inflammatory bowel disease.
4. $380,500 - Oral surgeon - Also known as a maxillofacial surgeon, this field includes diagnoses and surgical treatment of injuries and defects of the oral cavity and face, including tumors or cysts, dental implants and facial trauma.
5. $388,928 - Plastic surgeon - Focuses on replacement, reconstruction or repair of the body covering, including the head and neck, upper and lower limbs and breasts.