Cardiovascular surgeon vs thoracic surgeon

The differences between cardiovascular surgeons and thoracic 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 cardiovascular surgeon and a thoracic surgeon. Additionally, a thoracic surgeon has an average salary of $437,281, which is higher than the $411,744 average annual salary of a cardiovascular surgeon.

The top three skills for a cardiovascular surgeon include cardiovascular surgery, patient care and CPT. The most important skills for a thoracic surgeon are patient care, CME, and lung cancer.

Cardiovascular surgeon vs thoracic surgeon overview

	Cardiovascular Surgeon	Thoracic Surgeon
Yearly salary	$411,744	$437,281
Hourly rate	$197.95	$210.23
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	4,965	3,460
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Cardiovascular surgeon vs thoracic surgeon salary

Cardiovascular surgeons and thoracic surgeons have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cardiovascular Surgeon	Thoracic Surgeon
Average salary	$411,744	$437,281
Salary range	Between $207,000 And $818,000	Between $217,000 And $880,000
Highest paying City	Helena, MT	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Minnesota	Minnesota
Best paying company	Adventist HealthCare	Allina Health
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between cardiovascular surgeon and thoracic surgeon education

There are a few differences between a cardiovascular surgeon and a thoracic surgeon in terms of educational background:

	Cardiovascular Surgeon	Thoracic Surgeon
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Medicine	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	New York University

Cardiovascular surgeon vs thoracic surgeon demographics

Here are the differences between cardiovascular surgeons' and thoracic surgeons' demographics:

	Cardiovascular Surgeon	Thoracic Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5%	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 cardiovascular surgeon and thoracic surgeon duties and responsibilities

Cardiovascular surgeon example responsibilities.

Experience in skeletonize harvesting of both internal thoracic arteries, and saphenous vein harvest.
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.

Thoracic surgeon example responsibilities.

Room patients, check vitals, verify meds, H+P on new patients, EKG as requested by provider.
Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
Apply all HIPPA guidelines to everyday office procedures

Cardiovascular surgeon vs thoracic surgeon skills

Common cardiovascular surgeon skills

Cardiovascular Surgery, 75%
Patient Care, 15%
CPT, 4%
Harvest, 3%
Diagnostic Tests, 2%

Common thoracic surgeon skills

Patient Care, 57%
CME, 21%
Lung Cancer, 14%
Surgical Procedures, 5%
Community Hospital, 4%
EKG, 0%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Cardiovascular Surgeon vs Thoracic Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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