General surgeon vs upper extremity surgeon

The differences between general surgeons and upper extremity 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 an upper extremity surgeon. Additionally, an upper extremity surgeon has an average salary of $434,227, 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 an upper extremity surgeon are surgical procedures, physical therapy, and appointment scheduling.

General surgeon vs upper extremity surgeon overview

	General Surgeon	Upper Extremity Surgeon
Yearly salary	$223,321	$434,227
Hourly rate	$107.37	$208.76
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	45,174	3,474
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

General surgeon vs upper extremity surgeon salary

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

	General Surgeon	Upper Extremity Surgeon
Average salary	$223,321	$434,227
Salary range	Between $121,000 And $411,000	Between $216,000 And $872,000
Highest paying City	Watertown, NY	-
Highest paying state	Connecticut	-
Best paying company	Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between general surgeon and upper extremity surgeon education

There are a few differences between a general surgeon and an upper extremity surgeon in terms of educational background:

	General Surgeon	Upper Extremity Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Medicine	Occupational Therapy
Most common college	Duke University	-

General surgeon vs upper extremity surgeon demographics

Here are the differences between general surgeons' and upper extremity surgeons' demographics:

	General Surgeon	Upper Extremity Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%	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 general surgeon and upper extremity 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.

Upper extremity surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Assist COTA with inpatient care involving upper extremity exercises and morning ADL.
Apply plaster/fiberglass casts, joint splints, sutures, and wind dressings.
Treat patients with a variety of hand and upper extremity diagnoses; fabricate splints.
Board-Certify dermatologist performing Mohs surgery, advance reconstruction, blepharoplasty, liposuction, cosmetic & medical dermatology.
Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.

General surgeon vs upper extremity surgeon skills

Common general surgeon skills

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

Common upper extremity surgeon skills

Surgical Procedures, 38%
Physical Therapy, 20%
Appointment Scheduling, 13%
Front Desk, 9%
Therapeutic Exercises, 7%
Splints, 7%

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General Surgeon
General Surgeon vs Upper Extremity Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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