Cardiac surgeon vs surgeon's assistant

The differences between cardiac surgeons and surgeon's assistants 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 surgeon's assistant. Additionally, a cardiac surgeon has an average salary of $381,912, which is higher than the $367,957 average annual salary of a surgeon's assistant.

The top three skills for a cardiac surgeon include cardiovascular surgery, heart procedures and . The most important skills for a surgeon's assistant are patients, ortho, and EMR.

Cardiac surgeon vs surgeon's assistant overview

	Cardiac Surgeon	Surgeon's Assistant
Yearly salary	$381,912	$367,957
Hourly rate	$183.61	$176.90
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	5,920	2,715
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Cardiac surgeon vs surgeon's assistant salary

Cardiac surgeons and surgeon's assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cardiac Surgeon	Surgeon's Assistant
Average salary	$381,912	$367,957
Salary range	Between $196,000 And $743,000	Between $189,000 And $715,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Alaska	Maine
Best paying company	Allina Health	Bassett Healthcare Network
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between cardiac surgeon and surgeon's assistant education

There are a few differences between a cardiac surgeon and a surgeon's assistant in terms of educational background:

	Cardiac Surgeon	Surgeon's Assistant
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Biology	Medical Technician
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Cardiac surgeon vs surgeon's assistant demographics

Here are the differences between cardiac surgeons' and surgeon's assistants' demographics:

	Cardiac Surgeon	Surgeon's Assistant
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%	Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0%
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 surgeon's assistant 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.

Surgeon's assistant example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Perform in-office suturing and skin closures in the operating room.
Perform vital sign checks, glucose level assessments and EKG's.
Provide education to patients anticipating surgery, to reduce patient anxiety, and enhance surgical outcome.
Gather outpatients' background and provide companionship and emotional support for thoracic cancer patients and families.
Board-Certify dermatologist performing Mohs surgery, advance reconstruction, blepharoplasty, liposuction, cosmetic & medical dermatology.

Cardiac surgeon vs surgeon's assistant skills

Common cardiac surgeon skills

Cardiovascular Surgery, 77%
Heart Procedures, 23%

Common surgeon's assistant skills

Patients, 19%
Ortho, 17%
EMR, 16%
General Surgery, 8%
Surgical Procedures, 7%
Direct Patient Care, 5%

Cardiac Surgeon vs. similar jobs

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Cardiac Surgeon
Cardiac Surgeon vs Surgeon's Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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