General surgeon vs reconstructive surgeon

The differences between general surgeons and reconstructive 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 reconstructive surgeon. Additionally, a reconstructive surgeon has an average salary of $321,483, 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 reconstructive surgeon are cosmetic surgery, EMR, and exam rooms.

General surgeon vs reconstructive surgeon overview

	General Surgeon	Reconstructive Surgeon
Yearly salary	$223,321	$321,483
Hourly rate	$107.37	$154.56
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	45,174	3,458
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

General surgeon vs reconstructive surgeon salary

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

	General Surgeon	Reconstructive Surgeon
Average salary	$223,321	$321,483
Salary range	Between $121,000 And $411,000	Between $168,000 And $613,000
Highest paying City	Watertown, NY	Saint Paul, MN
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Minnesota
Best paying company	Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County	Allina Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between general surgeon and reconstructive surgeon education

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

	General Surgeon	Reconstructive Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Medicine	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Case Western Reserve University

General surgeon vs reconstructive surgeon demographics

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

	General Surgeon	Reconstructive Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%	Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%
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 reconstructive 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.

Reconstructive surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Perform administrative tasks regarding origination paperwork for patients, preoperative paperwork, medical clearance, financing and payment.
Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.

General surgeon vs reconstructive surgeon skills

Common general surgeon skills

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

Common reconstructive surgeon skills

Cosmetic Surgery, 62%
EMR, 12%
Exam Rooms, 12%
Front Desk, 7%
Hand Surgery, 3%
Post-Operative Care, 2%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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