Cardiac surgeon vs flight surgeon

The differences between cardiac surgeons and flight surgeons can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a cardiac surgeon and a flight surgeon. Additionally, a flight surgeon has an average salary of $429,498, which is higher than the $381,912 average annual salary of a cardiac surgeon.

The top three skills for a cardiac surgeon include cardiovascular surgery, heart procedures and . The most important skills for a flight surgeon are primary care, USAF, and medical support.

Cardiac surgeon vs flight surgeon overview

	Cardiac Surgeon	Flight Surgeon
Yearly salary	$381,912	$429,498
Hourly rate	$183.61	$206.49
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	5,920	4,876
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 30%	Doctoral Degree, 41%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Cardiac surgeon vs flight surgeon salary

Cardiac surgeons and flight surgeons have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cardiac Surgeon	Flight Surgeon
Average salary	$381,912	$429,498
Salary range	Between $196,000 And $743,000	Between $214,000 And $860,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Allina Health	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between cardiac surgeon and flight surgeon education

There are a few differences between a cardiac surgeon and a flight surgeon in terms of educational background:

	Cardiac Surgeon	Flight Surgeon
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 30%	Doctoral Degree, 41%
Most common major	Biology	Medicine
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Cardiac surgeon vs flight surgeon demographics

Here are the differences between cardiac surgeons' and flight surgeons' demographics:

	Cardiac Surgeon	Flight Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%	Male, 81.9% Female, 18.1%
Race ratio	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%	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	12%	12%

Differences between cardiac surgeon and flight surgeon duties and responsibilities

Cardiac surgeon example responsibilities.

Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
Handle confidential and sensitive information with accuracy and according to HIPAA policies.

Flight surgeon example responsibilities.

Attain proficiency in high volume spay/neuter surgeries in order to support the mission of fighting pet overpopulation.
Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
Collect R/R, IME and QME as they come in thru the billing department without having the case settle.

Cardiac surgeon vs flight surgeon skills

Common cardiac surgeon skills

Cardiovascular Surgery, 77%
Heart Procedures, 23%

Common flight surgeon skills

Primary Care, 59%
USAF, 29%
Medical Support, 4%
Physical Exams, 3%
Medical Examinations, 1%
NASA, 1%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Cardiac Surgeon
Cardiac Surgeon vs Flight Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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