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The differences between oral 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 an oral surgeon and a plastic surgeon. Additionally, an oral surgeon has an average salary of $427,828, which is higher than the $172,467 average annual salary of a plastic surgeon.
The top three skills for an oral surgeon include patients, patient care and dental care. The most important skills for a plastic surgeon are patients, patient care, and hand surgery.
| Oral Surgeon | Plastic Surgeon | |
| Yearly salary | $427,828 | $172,467 |
| Hourly rate | $205.69 | $82.92 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 23,387 | 3,906 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 46 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Oral Surgeons consult with patients and analyze patient information to determine the patient's requirements and treatment objectives. They plan treatments by partnering with other professionals like orthodontists and restorative dentists. These professionals record patients' care by keeping comprehensive patient appointment notes relating to test results, prescribed treatments, prescribed tests, and comments. Besides administering local anesthetics and general anesthetics, where necessary, oral surgeons also prescribe medication that can control pain after surgical procedures and improve patient recovery.
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.
Oral surgeons and plastic surgeons have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Oral Surgeon | Plastic Surgeon | |
| Average salary | $427,828 | $172,467 |
| Salary range | Between $213,000 And $856,000 | Between $87,000 And $339,000 |
| Highest paying City | Minneapolis, MN | Rockville Centre, NY |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Maine |
| Best paying company | SEARHC | MaineGeneral Health |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between an oral surgeon and a plastic surgeon in terms of educational background:
| Oral Surgeon | Plastic Surgeon | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Advanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Case Western Reserve University |
Here are the differences between oral surgeons' and plastic surgeons' demographics:
| Oral Surgeon | Plastic Surgeon | |
| Average age | 46 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.2% Female, 74.8% | Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 17.4% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |