Cardiac surgeon vs general surgeon

The differences between cardiac surgeons and general 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 general surgeon. Additionally, a cardiac surgeon has an average salary of $381,912, which is higher than the $223,321 average annual salary of a general surgeon.

The top three skills for a cardiac surgeon include cardiovascular surgery, heart procedures and . The most important skills for a general surgeon are patients, EMR, and medical education.

Cardiac surgeon vs general surgeon overview

	Cardiac Surgeon	General Surgeon
Yearly salary	$381,912	$223,321
Hourly rate	$183.61	$107.37
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	5,920	45,174
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Cardiac surgeon vs general surgeon salary

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

	Cardiac Surgeon	General Surgeon
Average salary	$381,912	$223,321
Salary range	Between $196,000 And $743,000	Between $121,000 And $411,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Watertown, NY
Highest paying state	Alaska	Connecticut
Best paying company	Allina Health	Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between cardiac surgeon and general surgeon education

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

	Cardiac Surgeon	General Surgeon
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Most common major	Biology	Medicine
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Cardiac surgeon vs general surgeon demographics

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

	Cardiac Surgeon	General Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%	Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%
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 general 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.

General surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Provide preoperative diagnosis of patients, perform the necessary emergency or elective surgery, and provide postoperative surgical care and treatment.
Provide patient ancillary testing such as EKG, NDX and NCV.
Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
Assist the physician during angioplasty and endovenous laser ablation procedures.
Clean operating room and wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.

Cardiac surgeon vs general surgeon skills

Common cardiac surgeon skills

Cardiovascular Surgery, 77%
Heart Procedures, 23%

Common general surgeon skills

Patients, 34%
EMR, 14%
Medical Education, 9%
Patient Care, 8%
Endoscopy, 6%
Private Practice, 3%

Cardiac Surgeon vs. similar jobs

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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