How to hire a hand surgeon

How to hire a hand surgeon, step by step

Here's a step-by-step hand 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 hand surgeon job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new hand surgeon
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a hand surgeon do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The hand surgeon hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A hand surgeon's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, hand surgeons from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of hand surgeons and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Hand Surgeon	Description	Hourly rate
   Hand 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	$82-300
   Neurosurgeon	A Neurosurgeon is responsible for diagnosing conditions related to the nervous system, determining treatment plans, and administering medications. Neurosurgeons perform surgeries and conduct further laboratory tests to track their progress and adjust treatment plans as needed... Show more	$90-340
   Orthopedic Surgeon	An orthopedic surgeon specializes in performing surgeries to treat different issues concerning a patient's musculoskeletal system. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around conducting extensive examinations on a patient to determine their condition, analyzing their medical records, coordinating with nurses and other specialists to ensure the accuracy of treatments, and maintaining a thorough record of information... Show more	$35-123

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • EMR
   • MRI
   • Memorial Hospital
   • Patient Appointments
   • Vital Signs
   • Front Desk
   • Insurance Verification
   • Surgical Procedures
   • Hippa
   • Patient Care
   • Patient Flow
   • CPT
   • Patient History

   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.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, hand surgeons' average salary in hawaii is 32% less than in maine.
   • Seniority. Entry-level hand surgeons 73% less than senior-level hand surgeons.
   • Certifications. A hand 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 hand surgeon's salary.

   Average hand surgeon salary

   $327,249yearly

   $157.33 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level hand surgeon salary

   $171,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average hand surgeon salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Wisconsin	$381,130	$183
   2	North Dakota	$379,889	$183
   3	Maine	$338,217	$163
   4	Illinois	$337,715	$162
   5	Michigan	$309,320	$149
   6	Washington	$301,902	$145
   7	Maryland	$295,064	$142
   8	Idaho	$281,040	$135
   9	Georgia	$278,732	$134
   10	West Virginia	$272,609	$131
   11	New York	$270,951	$130
   12	Tennessee	$270,509	$130
   13	Louisiana	$269,188	$129
   14	Pennsylvania	$252,122	$121
   15	Utah	$250,983	$121
   16	Colorado	$244,263	$117
   17	New Mexico	$235,279	$113
   18	Texas	$235,110	$113
   19	Arizona	$232,282	$112
   20	Virginia	$232,145	$112

   Average hand surgeon salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Allina Health	$463,976	$223.07	35
   2	Advocate Aurora Health	$457,839	$220.11	4
   3	OSF HealthCare	$451,456	$217.05	86
   4	Altru Health System	$451,267	$216.96	1
   5	BJC HealthCare	$450,720	$216.69	63
   6	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$423,316	$203.52	3
   7	Houston Methodist	$419,211	$201.54	84
   8	Sanford Health	$417,580	$200.76	97
   9	Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Inc.	$378,881	$182.15	40
   10	Provider Solutions & Development	$362,077	$174.08	211
   11	CHRISTUS Health	$361,306	$173.70	85
   12	Baylor Scott & White Health	$341,340	$164.11	286
   13	Merritt Hawkins	$339,764	$163.35
   14	Kaiser Permanente	$331,184	$159.22
   15	Baystate Health	$292,310	$140.53
   16	Jackson Physician Search	$267,072	$128.40
   17	Health Alliance	$264,220	$127.03	34
   18	Arnot Health	$264,068	$126.96	1
   19	Kleinert Kutz	$259,522	$124.77
   20	DMGAZ	$258,692	$124.37

4. Writing a hand surgeon job description

   A hand surgeon job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a hand surgeon job description:

   Hand surgeon job description example

   Full-time microvascular plastics and hand surgeon with a strong interest in academics and trauma.
   
   The Department staffs= a community hospital with a State and American College of Surgeons designated Level 1 Trauma and Burn Center in the metropolitan Phoenix area.
   
   The Department is seeking a microvascular plastics and hand surgeon interested in resident education to join and become an integral member of a busy plastics and hand practice.
   The practice has a strong emphasis on trauma and is supported by the trauma team. The surgeon would be appointed to the Department of Surgery with responsibilities relating to serving as a faculty member, traditional inpatient and outpatient services in the elective, urgent, and emergent care of the plastic/hand patient, teaching, and on-call coverage. The Department also hosts a General Surgery and Surgical Podiatry Residency Program and provides supervision to resident rotators in plastic surgery. Join a not-for-profit multispecialty practice group, consisting of more than 650 providers who represent all the major medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties Physicians hold faculty appointments and participate in inter-professional teaching through the Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance.
   Qualifications:
   The successful candidate must have completed Plastic Surgery residency training, be board certified or eligible; and previous faculty experience preferred. The candidate must also be board certified and/or eligible and have completed the Certificate in Added Qualifications for Hand, or Surgery of the Hand certified/eligible, and should be comfortable with a teamwork approach for patient management. Tissue microvascular procedures with breast surgery, burn surgery are anticipated.
   Compensation:
   4 Weeks paid time off 1 Week CME time off with CME stipend 10 paid holidays Medical/Dental/Vision insurance Life Insurance, Long Term Disability, AD & D insurance Tax deferred Pension Plan with company contributions Paid medical malpractice insurance with tail coverage
   Community:
   Home to 1.63 million people, Phoenix is the largest city in Arizona, and the fifth-largest city in the nation. The area spans 517 square miles, making it the largest city in Arizona in terms of land as well. Close proximity to nature A lively arts district Affordable housing Growing economy Easy parking Mild winters Great neighborhoods

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find hand 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 hand surgeons they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level hand 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 hand surgeon job on Zippia to find and attract quality hand surgeon candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with hand surgeon candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 hand surgeon

   Once you've selected the best hand surgeon candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   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 hand surgeon?