Attending physician vs surgeon

The differences between attending physicians and surgeons can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an attending physician, becoming a surgeon takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an attending physician has an average salary of $200,702, which is higher than the $155,553 average annual salary of a surgeon.

The top three skills for an attending physician include patients, primary care and surgery. The most important skills for a surgeon are patients, general surgery, and healthcare.

Attending physician vs surgeon overview

	Attending Physician	Surgeon
Yearly salary	$200,702	$155,553
Hourly rate	$96.49	$74.79
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	53,195	37,918
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	48	49
Years of experience	4	6

What does an attending physician do?

An Attending Physician typically supervises fellows, residents, medical students, and other practitioners. They are responsible for supervising each patient every day, reviewing treatment plans with residents, and supervising patient management documents.

What does a surgeon do?

A surgeon is a medical professional who conducts surgical procedures on the human body to treat injuries and diseases such as broken bones and cancerous tumors. Surgeons are required to review test results to identify abnormal findings and recommend a plan of treatment to patients. They must manage surgical technicians during the surgery process to ensure all standards of care and safety are followed in the operating room. Surgeons must also address concerns that the patients have about their health and well-being.

Attending physician vs surgeon salary

Attending physicians and surgeons have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Attending Physician	Surgeon
Average salary	$200,702	$155,553
Salary range	Between $125,000 And $321,000	Between $85,000 And $284,000
Highest paying City	Miami, FL	Lewiston, ME
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Maine
Best paying company	Community Health Systems	MaineGeneral Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between attending physician and surgeon education

There are a few differences between an attending physician and a surgeon in terms of educational background:

	Attending Physician	Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Duke University

Attending physician vs surgeon demographics

Here are the differences between attending physicians' and surgeons' demographics:

	Attending Physician	Surgeon
Average age	48	49
Gender ratio	Male, 36.5% Female, 63.5%	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 1.8% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 5.0% Asian, 12.7% White, 76.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	13%	12%

Differences between attending physician and surgeon duties and responsibilities

Attending physician example responsibilities.

Manage neurological cancer research protocols: collected/organize data, assure compliance with protocol guidelines, manage study database and enroll patients.
Prepare patients for ultrasound guide injections and aspirations which includes draping patients, prepping medications and preparing sterile instruments.
Manage neurological cancer research protocols: collected/organize data, assure compliance with protocol guidelines, manage study database and enroll patients.
Monitor and manage patient medical records in compliance with HIPPA.

Surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Assist senior staff in dental treatment of several complex procedures including dental treatment of medically compromise patients.
Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
Observe fracture plating, skin grafting, wind cleaning, amputation, and other Orthopaedic surgeries.

Attending physician vs surgeon skills

Common attending physician skills

Patients, 35%
Primary Care, 8%
Surgery, 5%
Internal Medicine, 5%
BLS, 4%
Rehabilitation, 3%

Common surgeon skills

Patients, 26%
General Surgery, 12%
Healthcare, 12%
Patient Care, 7%
Mohs, 5%
Private Practice, 4%

Attending Physician vs. similar jobs

Attending Physician related careers

Attending Physician related jobs

What similar roles do

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Attending Physician
Attending Physician vs Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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