Orthopedic surgeon vs physician

The differences between orthopedic surgeons and physicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an orthopedic surgeon, becoming a physician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a physician has an average salary of $238,887, which is higher than the $137,571 average annual salary of an orthopedic surgeon.

The top three skills for an orthopedic surgeon include patients, spine and EMR. The most important skills for a physician are patients, surgery, and patient care.

Orthopedic surgeon vs physician overview

	Orthopedic Surgeon	Physician
Yearly salary	$137,571	$238,887
Hourly rate	$66.14	$114.85
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	5,046	46,489
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	49	48
Years of experience	6	4

What does an orthopedic surgeon do?

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. Records include appointments, comments, and results. There are also instances when a surgeon must refer patients to therapists and provide advice for post-surgery care. Furthermore, it is essential to monitor a patient's condition before and after surgery.

What does a physician do?

Physicians' general responsibility is to check, diagnose, and treat a patient's condition to improve their overall wellness. A physician could be General Practitioners or Specialist Physicians, wherein General Practitioners are physicians who provide regular checkups for patients depending on their needs and refer them to a Specialist Physicians who are more skilled in a particular field of expertise for a thorough diagnosis. Physicians monitor a patient's medical history and ensure follow-up checkups to observe if the condition of a patient is changing over time. A physician may refer a patient to other health professionals for further examination as needed.

Orthopedic surgeon vs physician salary

Orthopedic surgeons and physicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Orthopedic Surgeon	Physician
Average salary	$137,571	$238,887
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $257,000	Between $128,000 And $442,000
Highest paying City	Brockton, MA	Cleveland, TN
Highest paying state	Maine	Wisconsin
Best paying company	Trinity Health	Yuma Regional Medical Center
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Health Care

Differences between orthopedic surgeon and physician education

There are a few differences between an orthopedic surgeon and a physician in terms of educational background:

	Orthopedic Surgeon	Physician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Nursing	Medicine
Most common college	New York University	Duke University

Orthopedic surgeon vs physician demographics

Here are the differences between orthopedic surgeons' and physicians' demographics:

	Orthopedic Surgeon	Physician
Average age	49	48
Gender ratio	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%
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, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	12%	13%

Differences between orthopedic surgeon and physician duties and responsibilities

Orthopedic surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Handle medical billing, medical transcription, and medical billing.
Perform surgical procedures of the foot and ankle in both a hospital and surgery center setting.
Provide conservative and surgical care of foot and ankle relate medical conditions for children and adults.
Register and interview patients for purpose of compiling medical history and record keeping.
Perform laparoscopic surgery on regular basis (cholecystectomy, appendectomy, gynecological surgery).

Physician example responsibilities.

Manage catheters and dress wounds.
Maintain ACLS and BLS certifications.
Treat complicated oncology cases in ICU and emergency.
Schedule new, follow-up and diagnostic testing for cardiology patients.
Attend radiation oncology clinic for new patients beginning treatment as well as follow-ups for returning patients.
Schedule tests and procedures (including radiology, cardiology, and respiratory) utilizing the hospital and clinic computer systems.

Orthopedic surgeon vs physician skills

Common orthopedic surgeon skills

Patients, 31%
Spine, 15%
EMR, 11%
Sports Medicine, 10%
Patient Care, 8%
Private Practice, 7%

Common physician skills

Patients, 22%
Surgery, 8%
Patient Care, 7%
Internal Medicine, 6%
Primary Care, 6%
EMR, 6%

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Orthopedic Surgeon
Orthopedic Surgeon vs Physician

Updated January 8, 2025

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