How to hire an orthopaedic surgeon

How to hire an orthopaedic surgeon, step by step

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

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

What does an orthopaedic surgeon do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The orthopaedic 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

   An orthopaedic surgeon's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, orthopaedic 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.

   Here's a comparison of orthopaedic surgeon salaries for various roles:

   Type of Orthopaedic Surgeon	Description	Hourly rate
   Orthopaedic 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	$60-208
   Vascular Surgeon	An avascular surgeon is a medical expert who specializes in treating conditions that affect blood vessels, primarily by performing surgeries. Before conducting surgical procedures, they must study the patients' medical histories, coordinate with staff and other experts, perform tests and examinations, determine surgical risks, and provide patients with consultations... Show more	$81-297
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • MRI
   • Patient Care
   • EMR
   • Exam Rooms
   • Vital Signs
   • Surgical Procedures
   • Medical History
   • Workers Compensation
   • Memorial Hospital
   • CPT
   • ICD-9
   • Insurance Verification
   • Medical Terminology

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
   • Design multi - site study for presentation at AAOS.
   • Design multi - site study to evaluate product use for presentation at AAOS and paper for JBJS.
   • Obtain detail historical data from patients and perform focuse physical examinations.
   • Board-Certify dermatologist performing Mohs surgery, advance reconstruction, blepharoplasty, liposuction, cosmetic & medical dermatology.
   • Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.

   More orthopaedic surgeon duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your orthopaedic surgeon job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An orthopaedic surgeon salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, orthopaedic surgeons' average salary in wyoming is 34% less than in maine.
   • Seniority. Entry-level orthopaedic surgeons earn 71% less than senior-level orthopaedic surgeons.
   • Certifications. An orthopaedic surgeon with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an orthopaedic surgeon's salary.

   Average orthopaedic surgeon salary

   $233,520yearly

   $112.27 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level orthopaedic surgeon salary

   $125,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average orthopaedic surgeon salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maine	$223,838	$108
   2	Illinois	$218,820	$105
   3	Iowa	$209,698	$101
   4	New York	$206,906	$99
   5	Washington	$204,264	$98
   6	North Dakota	$204,248	$98
   7	Massachusetts	$184,259	$89
   8	Indiana	$179,392	$86
   9	Pennsylvania	$175,295	$84
   10	Missouri	$170,742	$82
   11	Virginia	$158,956	$76
   12	North Carolina	$155,877	$75
   13	South Dakota	$151,737	$73
   14	California	$145,293	$70
   15	Texas	$142,146	$68
   16	Florida	$117,552	$57

   Average orthopaedic surgeon salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	St. Mary's Regional Medical Center	$382,129	$183.72
   2	Riverside Medical Center	$338,871	$162.92
   3	Northwestern Medical Center	$337,804	$162.41
   4	Northern Arizona Healthcare Corporation	$326,121	$156.79
   5	SSM Health	$323,597	$155.58	2
   6	Olympic Medical Center	$322,628	$155.11
   7	Samaritan Medical Center	$322,097	$154.85
   8	CHI Mercy Health	$315,672	$151.77
   9	Beth Israel Lahey Health	$310,652	$149.35	4
   10	LRES	$310,609	$149.33
   11	Provider Solutions & Development	$307,302	$147.74	22
   12	UTMB HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS	$307,274	$147.73
   13	ProMedica Toledo Hospital	$302,957	$145.65	2
   14	Geisinger Medical Center	$299,827	$144.15	30
   15	Christie Clinic	$297,636	$143.09
   16	Optum	$292,619	$140.68
   17	Greenville Health & Rehab	$285,097	$137.07	5
   18	Merritt Hawkins	$280,177	$134.70
   19	Froedtert Hospital	$255,954	$123.05
   20	Alpha Medical Group	$255,865	$123.01	16

4. Writing an orthopaedic surgeon job description

   An orthopaedic 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. To help get you started, here's an example of an orthopaedic surgeon job description:

   Orthopaedic surgeon job description example

   Specialization:
   
   Orthopaedic Total Joints
   
   Job Summary:
   
   Mission Hospital and Asheville Orthopaedic Associates in Asheville, North Carolina are excited to welcome a full time total joint arthroplasty surgeon to join our team. If the mountains are calling your name, check out the highlights below and submit your application to learn more. We look forward to hearing from you!
   
   Qualified Candidates:
   
   * Board certified in orthopaedic surgery and completion of total joint fellowship
   * Practicing physicians and new grads encouraged to apply!
   * Join a team of 7 surgeons, 2.5 family practice sports medicine physicians and 5 APPs
   * APP supervision required
   * Schedule: 3 office days and 2 operative days per week
   * Flexibility to travel to Marion and Brevard locations
   * Please note that this position does not offer visa support
   
   Incentive/Benefits Package:
   
   * This is an employed position with HCA Healthcare
   * Competitive salary driven by MGMA data and industry benchmarking
   * Benefit offerings for you and your loved ones: health, dental, vision & pharmacy
   * 401k and stock options
   * CME allowance, relocation and signing incentives offered in most circumstances
   
   About Mission Hospital:
   
   * Mission Hospital is licensed for 815 beds and is the region's only Level II Trauma Center (soon to be Level I), Comprehensive Stroke Center, Level III Epilepsy Center, Level III NICU, and includes the only children's hospital in western North Carolina.
   * Recognized by Healthgrades as This hospital for America's 50 Best Hospitals Award™ in 2021.
   * Awarded an 'A' in the fall 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade.
   * Magnet designated hospital for nursing excellence.
   
   Whether you enjoy outdoor adventures, arts and culture, live music, shopping or fine cuisine, Asheville offers something for everyone! With over 200 waterfalls and four navigable rivers, hiking trails for all skill levels, fantastic terrain for both road and mountain bikes, it is no surprise that Asheville is consistently rated one of the top US places to live. Asheville is known not only for its dynamic food scene and microbreweries but also for ethnic and exotic dining at the area's 250-plus independent restaurants. Asheville offers over 20 city and county public schools, a variety of faith-based schools with challenging curriculums as well as a number of private schools, including some of the best boarding schools in the US. Residents also enjoy easy access to air travel nearby in Asheville, Charlotte, NC and Greenville, SC.
   
   Apply

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find orthopaedic surgeons for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting orthopaedic surgeons requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 orthopaedic surgeon

   Once you've decided on a perfect orthopaedic surgeon candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   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 an orthopaedic surgeon?