Cardiac surgeon vs orthopedic surgeon

The differences between cardiac surgeons and orthopedic 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 an orthopedic surgeon. Additionally, a cardiac surgeon has an average salary of $381,912, which is higher than the $137,571 average annual salary of an orthopedic surgeon.

The top three skills for a cardiac surgeon include cardiovascular surgery, heart procedures and . The most important skills for an orthopedic surgeon are patients, spine, and EMR.

Cardiac surgeon vs orthopedic surgeon overview

	Cardiac Surgeon	Orthopedic Surgeon
Yearly salary	$381,912	$137,571
Hourly rate	$183.61	$66.14
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	5,920	5,046
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Cardiac surgeon vs orthopedic surgeon salary

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

	Cardiac Surgeon	Orthopedic Surgeon
Average salary	$381,912	$137,571
Salary range	Between $196,000 And $743,000	Between $73,000 And $257,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Brockton, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Maine
Best paying company	Allina Health	Trinity Health
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between cardiac surgeon and orthopedic surgeon education

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

	Cardiac Surgeon	Orthopedic Surgeon
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	New York University

Cardiac surgeon vs orthopedic surgeon demographics

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

	Cardiac Surgeon	Orthopedic Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%
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 orthopedic 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.

Orthopedic surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Handle medical billing, medical transcription, and medical billing.
Perform surgical procedures of the foot and ankle in both a hospital and surgery center setting.
Provide conservative and surgical care of foot and ankle relate medical conditions for children and adults.
Register and interview patients for purpose of compiling medical history and record keeping.
Perform laparoscopic surgery on regular basis (cholecystectomy, appendectomy, gynecological surgery).

Cardiac surgeon vs orthopedic surgeon skills

Common cardiac surgeon skills

Cardiovascular Surgery, 77%
Heart Procedures, 23%

Common orthopedic surgeon skills

Patients, 31%
Spine, 15%
EMR, 11%
Sports Medicine, 10%
Patient Care, 8%
Private Practice, 7%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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