General surgeon vs plastic surgeon

The differences between general surgeons and plastic 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 plastic surgeon. Additionally, a general surgeon has an average salary of $223,321, which is higher than the $172,467 average annual salary of a plastic surgeon.

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

General surgeon vs plastic surgeon overview

	General Surgeon	Plastic Surgeon
Yearly salary	$223,321	$172,467
Hourly rate	$107.37	$82.92
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	45,174	3,906
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
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 plastic surgeon do?

Plastic surgeons must have skills in hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, organization, communication, and teamwork. This career also requires a bachelor's degree in a premedical major and completion of a four-year M.D. and a surgical residency. Those who choose this career path perform reconstructive plastic surgery in order to restore form and function following illness or trauma and/or perform cosmetic surgery for simple alteration of appearance.

General surgeon vs plastic surgeon salary

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

	General Surgeon	Plastic Surgeon
Average salary	$223,321	$172,467
Salary range	Between $121,000 And $411,000	Between $87,000 And $339,000
Highest paying City	Watertown, NY	Rockville Centre, NY
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Maine
Best paying company	Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County	MaineGeneral Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between general surgeon and plastic surgeon education

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

	General Surgeon	Plastic Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common major	Medicine	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Case Western Reserve University

General surgeon vs plastic surgeon demographics

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

	General Surgeon	Plastic Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%	Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4%
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 plastic 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.

Plastic surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Develop x-rays, foot and ankle therapies, including hydrotherapy, ultrasound and hot wax.
Assist with surgery scheduling, casting/removing, & casting for orthotics.
Check patient in/out, collect co-payments/deductibles that apply for orthotics, enter charges/post payments.
Perform administrative tasks regarding origination paperwork for patients, preoperative paperwork, medical clearance, financing and payment.
Complete knowledge of military and DOD protocols pertaining to network and computer systems.

General surgeon vs plastic surgeon skills

Common general surgeon skills

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

Common plastic surgeon skills

Patients, 55%
Patient Care, 9%
Hand Surgery, 6%
Private Practice, 6%
Medical Procedures, 5%
Surgical Procedures, 4%

General Surgeon vs. similar jobs

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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