Cardiac surgeon vs plastic surgeon

The differences between cardiac surgeons and plastic 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 plastic surgeon. Additionally, a cardiac surgeon has an average salary of $381,912, which is higher than the $172,467 average annual salary of a plastic surgeon.

The top three skills for a cardiac surgeon include cardiovascular surgery, heart procedures and . The most important skills for a plastic surgeon are patients, patient care, and hand surgery.

Cardiac surgeon vs plastic surgeon overview

	Cardiac Surgeon	Plastic Surgeon
Yearly salary	$381,912	$172,467
Hourly rate	$183.61	$82.92
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	5,920	3,906
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Cardiac surgeon vs plastic surgeon salary

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

	Cardiac Surgeon	Plastic Surgeon
Average salary	$381,912	$172,467
Salary range	Between $196,000 And $743,000	Between $87,000 And $339,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Rockville Centre, NY
Highest paying state	Alaska	Maine
Best paying company	Allina Health	MaineGeneral Health
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between cardiac surgeon and plastic surgeon education

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

	Cardiac Surgeon	Plastic Surgeon
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Case Western Reserve University

Cardiac surgeon vs plastic surgeon demographics

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

	Cardiac Surgeon	Plastic Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%	Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4%
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 plastic 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.

Plastic surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Develop x-rays, foot and ankle therapies, including hydrotherapy, ultrasound and hot wax.
Assist with surgery scheduling, casting/removing, & casting for orthotics.
Check patient in/out, collect co-payments/deductibles that apply for orthotics, enter charges/post payments.
Perform administrative tasks regarding origination paperwork for patients, preoperative paperwork, medical clearance, financing and payment.
Complete knowledge of military and DOD protocols pertaining to network and computer systems.

Cardiac surgeon vs plastic surgeon skills

Common cardiac surgeon skills

Cardiovascular Surgery, 77%
Heart Procedures, 23%

Common plastic surgeon skills

Patients, 55%
Patient Care, 9%
Hand Surgery, 6%
Private Practice, 6%
Medical Procedures, 5%
Surgical Procedures, 4%

Cardiac Surgeon vs. similar jobs

Cardiac Surgeon related careers

Cardiac Surgeon related jobs

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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