Cardiothoracic surgeon vs heart surgeon

The differences between cardiothoracic surgeons and heart 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 cardiothoracic surgeon and a heart surgeon. Additionally, a heart surgeon has an average salary of $434,892, which is higher than the $409,035 average annual salary of a cardiothoracic surgeon.

The top three skills for a cardiothoracic surgeon include private practice, surgical procedures and MRI. The most important skills for a heart surgeon are heart surgery, , and .

Cardiothoracic surgeon vs heart surgeon overview

	Cardiothoracic Surgeon	Heart Surgeon
Yearly salary	$409,035	$434,892
Hourly rate	$196.65	$209.08
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	3,612	3,649
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Doctoral Degree, 67%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Cardiothoracic surgeon vs heart surgeon salary

Cardiothoracic surgeons and heart surgeons have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cardiothoracic Surgeon	Heart Surgeon
Average salary	$409,035	$434,892
Salary range	Between $205,000 And $813,000	Between $216,000 And $873,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	-
Highest paying state	Michigan	-
Best paying company	Allina Health	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between cardiothoracic surgeon and heart surgeon education

There are a few differences between a cardiothoracic surgeon and a heart surgeon in terms of educational background:

	Cardiothoracic Surgeon	Heart Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Doctoral Degree, 67%
Most common major	Nursing	Economics
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Cardiothoracic surgeon vs heart surgeon demographics

Here are the differences between cardiothoracic surgeons' and heart surgeons' demographics:

	Cardiothoracic Surgeon	Heart Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9%	Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1%
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 cardiothoracic surgeon and heart surgeon duties and responsibilities

Cardiothoracic surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage all incoming medical records requests (ensuring office is within HIPPA guidelines).
Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
Observe fracture plating, skin grafting, wind cleaning, amputation, and other Orthopaedic surgeries.

Heart surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.

Cardiothoracic surgeon vs heart surgeon skills

Common cardiothoracic surgeon skills

Private Practice, 38%
Surgical Procedures, 28%
MRI, 19%
Post-Operative Care, 7%
Chest Tubes, 7%
Direct Care, 2%

Common heart surgeon skills

Heart Surgery, 100%

Cardiothoracic Surgeon vs. similar jobs

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Cardiothoracic Surgeon vs Heart Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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