Cardiac surgeon vs upper extremity surgeon

The differences between cardiac surgeons and upper extremity 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 upper extremity surgeon. Additionally, an upper extremity surgeon has an average salary of $434,227, 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 an upper extremity surgeon are surgical procedures, physical therapy, and appointment scheduling.

Cardiac surgeon vs upper extremity surgeon overview

	Cardiac Surgeon	Upper Extremity Surgeon
Yearly salary	$381,912	$434,227
Hourly rate	$183.61	$208.76
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	5,920	3,474
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Cardiac surgeon vs upper extremity surgeon salary

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

	Cardiac Surgeon	Upper Extremity Surgeon
Average salary	$381,912	$434,227
Salary range	Between $196,000 And $743,000	Between $216,000 And $872,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Allina Health	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between cardiac surgeon and upper extremity surgeon education

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

	Cardiac Surgeon	Upper Extremity Surgeon
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Biology	Occupational Therapy
Most common college	Duke University	-

Cardiac surgeon vs upper extremity surgeon demographics

Here are the differences between cardiac surgeons' and upper extremity surgeons' demographics:

	Cardiac Surgeon	Upper Extremity Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%	Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7%
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 upper extremity 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.

Upper extremity surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Assist COTA with inpatient care involving upper extremity exercises and morning ADL.
Apply plaster/fiberglass casts, joint splints, sutures, and wind dressings.
Treat patients with a variety of hand and upper extremity diagnoses; fabricate splints.
Board-Certify dermatologist performing Mohs surgery, advance reconstruction, blepharoplasty, liposuction, cosmetic & medical dermatology.
Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.

Cardiac surgeon vs upper extremity surgeon skills

Common cardiac surgeon skills

Cardiovascular Surgery, 77%
Heart Procedures, 23%

Common upper extremity surgeon skills

Surgical Procedures, 38%
Physical Therapy, 20%
Appointment Scheduling, 13%
Front Desk, 9%
Therapeutic Exercises, 7%
Splints, 7%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Cardiac Surgeon
Cardiac Surgeon vs Upper Extremity Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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