How to hire a general surgeon

How to hire a general surgeon, step by step

Here's a step-by-step general surgeon hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a general surgeon job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new general surgeon
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a general surgeon do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your general surgeon job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a general surgeon for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a general surgeon to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a general surgeon that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of general surgeons.

   Type of General Surgeon	Description	Hourly rate
   General Surgeon	Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests... Show more	$58-197
   Doctor	A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary... Show more	$50-196
   Orthopaedic Surgeon	Orthopaedic surgeons are healthcare professionals who are responsible for treating pain related to the musculoskeletal system of the body. These licensed medical experts are required to examine, diagnose, and treat diseases and injuries related to the musculoskeletal system such as dislocated joints, back pain, and arthritis... Show more	$60-208

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • EMR
   • Medical Education
   • Patient Care
   • Endoscopy
   • Private Practice
   • Medical Facilities
   • Medical Care
   • Breast Surgery
   • Diagnosis
   • Community Hospital
   • Surgical Services
   • Critical Care
   • Exam Rooms

   Check all skills

   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.

   More general surgeon duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your general surgeon job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A general surgeon can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, general surgeons' average salary in nevada is 27% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level general surgeons 71% less than senior-level general surgeons.
   • Certifications. A general surgeon with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a general surgeon's salary.

   Average general surgeon salary

   $223,321yearly

   $107.37 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level general surgeon salary

   $121,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average general surgeon salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$220,638	$106
   2	Connecticut	$214,330	$103
   3	Delaware	$193,969	$93
   4	Pennsylvania	$190,623	$92
   5	Michigan	$190,283	$91
   6	New Hampshire	$189,594	$91
   7	Wisconsin	$189,287	$91
   8	Alabama	$181,218	$87
   9	South Carolina	$180,260	$87
   10	Illinois	$179,964	$87
   11	Minnesota	$177,172	$85
   12	Massachusetts	$177,109	$85
   13	Ohio	$175,968	$85
   14	Iowa	$175,181	$84
   15	Tennessee	$171,319	$82
   16	Mississippi	$169,132	$81
   17	Maryland	$165,721	$80
   18	Kansas	$163,656	$79
   19	Oregon	$155,358	$75
   20	California	$155,042	$75

   Average general surgeon salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County	$387,832	$186.46
   2	Allina Health	$380,645	$183.00	3
   3	Pikeville Medical Center	$379,688	$182.54
   4	St. Mary's Regional Medical Center	$377,771	$181.62	1
   5	Wellstar Health System	$376,996	$181.25	2
   6	Dignity Health	$373,731	$179.68	15
   7	Altru Health System	$368,135	$176.99
   8	Phelps Health Foundation	$365,434	$175.69
   9	Frederick Health	$365,108	$175.53	1
   10	Essentia Health	$361,930	$174.00	36
   11	MidMichigan Health	$351,567	$169.02
   12	Whidbey General Hospital	$351,051	$168.77
   13	Three Rivers Health	$350,613	$168.56
   14	Redington Fairview General Hospital	$349,832	$168.19
   15	McAllen Medical Center	$347,428	$167.03
   16	Houston Methodist	$343,607	$165.20	28
   17	Great River Health	$340,337	$163.62
   18	Northwestern Medicine	$340,019	$163.47	1
   19	Billings Clinic	$339,411	$163.18	1
   20	Hays Medical Center	$337,590	$162.30

4. Writing a general surgeon job description

   A job description for a general surgeon role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a general surgeon job description:

   General surgeon job description example

   An outpatient health center in the Greater Denver Area is looking to add a General Surgeon to their team. The Denver area is one of the country’s most populous metropolises and has consistently been ranked one of the best places to live and work in the US. Denver receives four distinct seasons, making it a popular place for winter recreation. The area also has a rich culture, including a vibrant music scene and the world-famous Denver Broncos.
   Certification: MD/DO Title: General Surgeon Board Status : Board Certified Residency/Training: General Surgery Setting : Inpatient Experience Required : 2 Years’ Experience
   
   Compensation & Logistics
   Position Type : Locums Tenens 1099 Availability : Full-Time/Part-Time Scheduling : 24hr. Call, 7: 00AM – 7: 00AM
   
   KPG Provider Services is a West Coast Focused Company with offices in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. We are focused on offering the best, most rewarding opportunities while providing excellent compensation and support.
   
   Outstanding service is at the core of our culture. Our Medical Professionals will experience a service relationship characterized by respect, a sense of urgency, and attention to detail.
   
   Our team offers benefits like geographic expertise, understanding commuting times, and top market compensation rates.
   
   In short, we focus intently on the things that matter to you with a commitment to achieve exceptional outcomes. Call us and experience the difference!
   
   For a complete listing of our current openings visit www.kpgproviders.com!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find general surgeons for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any general surgeons they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level general surgeons with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your general surgeon job on Zippia to find and attract quality general surgeon candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit general surgeons, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new general surgeon

   Once you've found the general surgeon candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a general surgeon?