General surgeon vs hand surgeon

The differences between general surgeons and hand 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 general surgeon and a hand surgeon. Additionally, a hand surgeon has an average salary of $327,249, which is higher than the $223,321 average annual salary of a general surgeon.

The top three skills for a general surgeon include patients, EMR and medical education. The most important skills for a hand surgeon are patients, EMR, and MRI.

General surgeon vs hand surgeon overview

	General Surgeon	Hand Surgeon
Yearly salary	$223,321	$327,249
Hourly rate	$107.37	$157.33
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	45,174	22,502
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

What does a general surgeon do?

The General Surgeon's role is to perform operations to treat or prevent diseases, repair damage caused by injuries, and improve the functions of the human body through the use of different surgical instruments. They also assess patients and explain different diagnostic tests that are performed.

What does a hand surgeon do?

A hand surgeon is a health professional that is skilled in the field of medicine that deals with problems that relate to the hand, wrist, and forearm. Your job responsibility is to attend to the problems of clients and provide solutions. Most of these problems can be resolved without the need for surgery unless when necessary. Your job is to reduce and get rid of pain and restore movement and function.

General surgeon vs hand surgeon salary

General surgeons and hand surgeons have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Surgeon	Hand Surgeon
Average salary	$223,321	$327,249
Salary range	Between $121,000 And $411,000	Between $171,000 And $625,000
Highest paying City	Watertown, NY	Eau Claire, WI
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Maine
Best paying company	Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County	Allina Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between general surgeon and hand surgeon education

There are a few differences between a general surgeon and a hand surgeon in terms of educational background:

	General Surgeon	Hand Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Medicine	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	University of Pennsylvania

General surgeon vs hand surgeon demographics

Here are the differences between general surgeons' and hand surgeons' demographics:

	General Surgeon	Hand Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%	Male, 20.9% Female, 79.1%
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 general surgeon and hand surgeon duties and responsibilities

General surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Provide preoperative diagnosis of patients, perform the necessary emergency or elective surgery, and provide postoperative surgical care and treatment.
Provide patient ancillary testing such as EKG, NDX and NCV.
Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
Assist the physician during angioplasty and endovenous laser ablation procedures.
Clean operating room and wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.

Hand surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Schedule patients for surgery and diagnostic testing; eligibility benefits and insurance verification duties.
Assist Dr Fatuma Osman in dental procedures and consults.
Inform patients on various reactions to prescribe medications along with other medical information.
Board-Certify dermatologist performing Mohs surgery, advance reconstruction, blepharoplasty, liposuction, cosmetic & medical dermatology.
Generate billing and conduct follow-up calls.

General surgeon vs hand surgeon skills

Common general surgeon skills

Patients, 34%
EMR, 14%
Medical Education, 9%
Patient Care, 8%
Endoscopy, 6%
Private Practice, 3%

Common hand surgeon skills

Patients, 67%
EMR, 18%
MRI, 8%
Memorial Hospital, 3%
Patient Appointments, 1%
Vital Signs, 1%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
General Surgeon
General Surgeon vs Hand Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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