GITNUXREPORT 2026

Surgeon Statistics

The US surgical workforce is predominantly male, older, and concentrated in urban areas.

Alexander Schmidt

Alexander Schmidt

Research Analyst specializing in technology and digital transformation trends.

First published: Feb 27, 2026

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Key Statistics

Statistic 1

Average surgeon salary in US: $409,665 in 2023.

Statistic 2

Orthopedic surgeons earn $573,000 average annually 2023.

Statistic 3

Plastic surgeons average $619,000 salary US 2023.

Statistic 4

General surgeons median pay: $373,000 per BLS 2022.

Statistic 5

Neurosurgeons top earners at $788,000 average 2023.

Statistic 6

45% of surgeons work in private practice 2022.

Statistic 7

Employed surgeons: 55% of US total in 2023.

Statistic 8

Bonus pay averages 20% of base salary for surgeons.

Statistic 9

Surgeon unemployment rate: 1.2% in 2022.

Statistic 10

Average work hours: 56 per week for surgeons 2023.

Statistic 11

Call coverage: 1 in 5 nights for 60% of surgeons.

Statistic 12

RVU productivity: 8,000 average per surgeon yearly.

Statistic 13

Malpractice premiums average $50,000/year for surgeons.

Statistic 14

30% salary increase post-fellowship for subspecialists.

Statistic 15

Locum tenens surgeons earn $3,000/day average.

Statistic 16

Hospital-employed surgeons: average $450,000 base.

Statistic 17

Retirement age average: 65 for US surgeons 2022.

Statistic 18

Part-time surgeons: 10% of workforce in 2023.

Statistic 19

Surgeon income growth: 5% annually 2018-2023.

Statistic 20

In 2022, there were 53,000 active surgeons in the United States.

Statistic 21

Surgeons make up 12% of the total physician workforce in the US as of 2021.

Statistic 22

82% of surgeons in the US are male according to 2023 data.

Statistic 23

The average age of surgeons in the US is 51 years old in 2022.

Statistic 24

Only 18% of US surgeons are female as reported in 2023 surveys.

Statistic 25

64% of surgeons in the US are White, per 2021 AAMC data.

Statistic 26

Asian surgeons constitute 18% of the US surgical workforce in 2022.

Statistic 27

Hispanic or Latino surgeons represent 6% of US surgeons in 2023.

Statistic 28

Black or African American surgeons are 5% of the total in the US per 2022 stats.

Statistic 29

75% of surgeons graduated from US medical schools, 2021 data.

Statistic 30

Surgeons in urban areas comprise 85% of the US total in 2022.

Statistic 31

Rural surgeons number about 4,000 in the US as of 2023.

Statistic 32

92% of US surgeons are board-certified per 2022 ABS data.

Statistic 33

Orthopedic surgeons are the largest surgical specialty with 22,000 in US 2022.

Statistic 34

General surgeons number 28,000 in the US workforce 2023.

Statistic 35

Neurosurgeons total 3,700 in the US as of 2022.

Statistic 36

Plastic surgeons in US: 8,000 active in 2023.

Statistic 37

Cardiac surgeons: 4,200 in US per STS 2022 registry.

Statistic 38

40% of US surgeons are over 55 years old in 2023.

Statistic 39

Under 40 surgeons: 15% of US total in 2022.

Statistic 40

Surgeons complete 4 years of medical school on average.

Statistic 41

General surgery residency lasts 5 years in the US.

Statistic 42

90% of surgeons undergo fellowship training post-residency.

Statistic 43

Board certification requires 300-400 operative cases in residency.

Statistic 44

US surgeons average 14,000 hours of training before independent practice.

Statistic 45

75% of surgical residents publish research during training.

Statistic 46

Simulation training is mandatory for 95% of US surgical residencies.

Statistic 47

Average medical school debt for surgeons: $200,000 in 2023.

Statistic 48

60% of surgeons enter residency via NRMP Match.

Statistic 49

Surgical residency acceptance rate: 78% for US grads 2022.

Statistic 50

Fellows in surgical subspecialties: 1,500 new per year US.

Statistic 51

Recertification exams every 10 years for 85% of surgeons.

Statistic 52

CME credits required: 50 hours annually for most surgeons.

Statistic 53

70% of surgeons participate in robotic surgery training.

Statistic 54

Laparoscopic skills training starts in PGY-1 for 80% programs.

Statistic 55

International surgeons: 25% trained outside US initially.

Statistic 56

ABS qualifying exam pass rate: 88% first time 2022.

Statistic 57

Surgical boot camps attended by 65% of new residents.

Statistic 58

Mentorship programs in 90% of surgical residencies.

Statistic 59

45% of surgeons report burnout symptoms in 2023.

Statistic 60

Surgeon suicide rate: 1.5 times general population.

Statistic 61

60% work more than 60 hours/week regularly.

Statistic 62

Malpractice claims against surgeons: 20% lifetime risk.

Statistic 63

35% delay retirement due to shortages.

Statistic 64

Wellness programs in 70% of hospitals for surgeons.

Statistic 65

Substance abuse rate: 10-15% among surgeons.

Statistic 66

Duty hour violations reported by 25% residents.

Statistic 67

50% cite administrative burden as top stressor.

Statistic 68

Violence against surgeons: 12% experienced in ER.

Statistic 69

US surgeons perform 50 million operations yearly.

Statistic 70

Surgical site infection rate: 2-5% across procedures.

Statistic 71

30-day mortality post-surgery: 1.5% average US.

Statistic 72

Robotic surgeries: 1 million performed in US 2022.

Statistic 73

Laparoscopic procedures: 60% of abdominal surgeries.

Statistic 74

Average surgery duration: 2.5 hours for general cases.

Statistic 75

Readmission rate within 30 days: 8% post-op.

Statistic 76

Antibiotic prophylaxis used in 95% of surgeries.

Statistic 77

Minimally invasive surgeries: 70% growth since 2010.

Statistic 78

Hernia repairs: 1 million annually in US.

Statistic 79

Appendectomies: 300,000 per year US 2022.

Statistic 80

CABG surgeries: 200,000 yearly US.

Statistic 81

Hip replacements: 450,000 in US 2022.

Statistic 82

Complication rate for elective surgery: 10%.

Statistic 83

OR turnover time average: 45 minutes US hospitals.

Statistic 84

90-day survival post-major surgery: 92%.

Statistic 85

Transplant surgeries: 40,000 organ transplants US yearly.

Statistic 86

Bariatric surgeries: 250,000 in US 2022.

Statistic 87

Spine surgeries: 500,000 annually US.

Statistic 88

Patient satisfaction post-surgery: 85% excellent rating.

Sources
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While surgeons shape countless lives in the operating room, the profession itself is defined by striking numbers: from the 53,000 active surgeons who make up just 12% of the physician workforce to a persistent 82% male demographic, a complex statistical portrait reveals the realities of this demanding field.

Key Takeaways

  • In 2022, there were 53,000 active surgeons in the United States.
  • Surgeons make up 12% of the total physician workforce in the US as of 2021.
  • 82% of surgeons in the US are male according to 2023 data.
  • Surgeons complete 4 years of medical school on average.
  • General surgery residency lasts 5 years in the US.
  • 90% of surgeons undergo fellowship training post-residency.
  • Average surgeon salary in US: $409,665 in 2023.
  • Orthopedic surgeons earn $573,000 average annually 2023.
  • Plastic surgeons average $619,000 salary US 2023.
  • US surgeons perform 50 million operations yearly.
  • Surgical site infection rate: 2-5% across procedures.
  • 30-day mortality post-surgery: 1.5% average US.
  • 45% of surgeons report burnout symptoms in 2023.
  • Surgeon suicide rate: 1.5 times general population.
  • 60% work more than 60 hours/week regularly.

The US surgical workforce is predominantly male, older, and concentrated in urban areas.

Compensation and Employment

  • Average surgeon salary in US: $409,665 in 2023.
  • Orthopedic surgeons earn $573,000 average annually 2023.
  • Plastic surgeons average $619,000 salary US 2023.
  • General surgeons median pay: $373,000 per BLS 2022.
  • Neurosurgeons top earners at $788,000 average 2023.
  • 45% of surgeons work in private practice 2022.
  • Employed surgeons: 55% of US total in 2023.
  • Bonus pay averages 20% of base salary for surgeons.
  • Surgeon unemployment rate: 1.2% in 2022.
  • Average work hours: 56 per week for surgeons 2023.
  • Call coverage: 1 in 5 nights for 60% of surgeons.
  • RVU productivity: 8,000 average per surgeon yearly.
  • Malpractice premiums average $50,000/year for surgeons.
  • 30% salary increase post-fellowship for subspecialists.
  • Locum tenens surgeons earn $3,000/day average.
  • Hospital-employed surgeons: average $450,000 base.
  • Retirement age average: 65 for US surgeons 2022.
  • Part-time surgeons: 10% of workforce in 2023.
  • Surgeon income growth: 5% annually 2018-2023.

Compensation and Employment Interpretation

While their salaries might suggest surgeons are paid by the limb, the real story is a grueling trade-off where sky-high earnings are the hard-won compensation for a life tethered to the hospital, haunted by malpractice, and measured in relentless productivity units.

Demographics

  • In 2022, there were 53,000 active surgeons in the United States.
  • Surgeons make up 12% of the total physician workforce in the US as of 2021.
  • 82% of surgeons in the US are male according to 2023 data.
  • The average age of surgeons in the US is 51 years old in 2022.
  • Only 18% of US surgeons are female as reported in 2023 surveys.
  • 64% of surgeons in the US are White, per 2021 AAMC data.
  • Asian surgeons constitute 18% of the US surgical workforce in 2022.
  • Hispanic or Latino surgeons represent 6% of US surgeons in 2023.
  • Black or African American surgeons are 5% of the total in the US per 2022 stats.
  • 75% of surgeons graduated from US medical schools, 2021 data.
  • Surgeons in urban areas comprise 85% of the US total in 2022.
  • Rural surgeons number about 4,000 in the US as of 2023.
  • 92% of US surgeons are board-certified per 2022 ABS data.
  • Orthopedic surgeons are the largest surgical specialty with 22,000 in US 2022.
  • General surgeons number 28,000 in the US workforce 2023.
  • Neurosurgeons total 3,700 in the US as of 2022.
  • Plastic surgeons in US: 8,000 active in 2023.
  • Cardiac surgeons: 4,200 in US per STS 2022 registry.
  • 40% of US surgeons are over 55 years old in 2023.
  • Under 40 surgeons: 15% of US total in 2022.

Demographics Interpretation

Despite being a field that wields the scalpel of progress, the modern US surgical landscape remains strikingly homogenous, dominated by older, white, male, urban-based physicians, suggesting the profession's most complex operation might be on its own diversity and demographic renewal.

Education and Training

  • Surgeons complete 4 years of medical school on average.
  • General surgery residency lasts 5 years in the US.
  • 90% of surgeons undergo fellowship training post-residency.
  • Board certification requires 300-400 operative cases in residency.
  • US surgeons average 14,000 hours of training before independent practice.
  • 75% of surgical residents publish research during training.
  • Simulation training is mandatory for 95% of US surgical residencies.
  • Average medical school debt for surgeons: $200,000 in 2023.
  • 60% of surgeons enter residency via NRMP Match.
  • Surgical residency acceptance rate: 78% for US grads 2022.
  • Fellows in surgical subspecialties: 1,500 new per year US.
  • Recertification exams every 10 years for 85% of surgeons.
  • CME credits required: 50 hours annually for most surgeons.
  • 70% of surgeons participate in robotic surgery training.
  • Laparoscopic skills training starts in PGY-1 for 80% programs.
  • International surgeons: 25% trained outside US initially.
  • ABS qualifying exam pass rate: 88% first time 2022.
  • Surgical boot camps attended by 65% of new residents.
  • Mentorship programs in 90% of surgical residencies.

Education and Training Interpretation

Surgeons endure a grueling, decade-long gauntlet of debt, sleepless nights, and simulated organs, all to earn the privilege of being perpetually tested on their ability to not accidentally leave a sponge inside you.

Professional Challenges and Wellness

  • 45% of surgeons report burnout symptoms in 2023.
  • Surgeon suicide rate: 1.5 times general population.
  • 60% work more than 60 hours/week regularly.
  • Malpractice claims against surgeons: 20% lifetime risk.
  • 35% delay retirement due to shortages.
  • Wellness programs in 70% of hospitals for surgeons.
  • Substance abuse rate: 10-15% among surgeons.
  • Duty hour violations reported by 25% residents.
  • 50% cite administrative burden as top stressor.
  • Violence against surgeons: 12% experienced in ER.

Professional Challenges and Wellness Interpretation

The statistics paint a grim portrait of a profession in a state of alarming distress, where the very people tasked with mending others are being systematically broken by a system of relentless hours, immense pressure, and profound personal risk.

Surgical Practices and Outcomes

  • US surgeons perform 50 million operations yearly.
  • Surgical site infection rate: 2-5% across procedures.
  • 30-day mortality post-surgery: 1.5% average US.
  • Robotic surgeries: 1 million performed in US 2022.
  • Laparoscopic procedures: 60% of abdominal surgeries.
  • Average surgery duration: 2.5 hours for general cases.
  • Readmission rate within 30 days: 8% post-op.
  • Antibiotic prophylaxis used in 95% of surgeries.
  • Minimally invasive surgeries: 70% growth since 2010.
  • Hernia repairs: 1 million annually in US.
  • Appendectomies: 300,000 per year US 2022.
  • CABG surgeries: 200,000 yearly US.
  • Hip replacements: 450,000 in US 2022.
  • Complication rate for elective surgery: 10%.
  • OR turnover time average: 45 minutes US hospitals.
  • 90-day survival post-major surgery: 92%.
  • Transplant surgeries: 40,000 organ transplants US yearly.
  • Bariatric surgeries: 250,000 in US 2022.
  • Spine surgeries: 500,000 annually US.
  • Patient satisfaction post-surgery: 85% excellent rating.

Surgical Practices and Outcomes Interpretation

While surgeons are performing a staggering 50 million operations a year with impressive survival rates and patient satisfaction, the sobering reality is that hundreds of thousands of patients still face infections, complications, and readmissions, proving that even our most advanced medicine remains a profoundly high-stakes art.