Orthopedic surgeon vs trauma surgeon

The differences between orthopedic surgeons and trauma 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 orthopedic surgeon and a trauma surgeon. Additionally, a trauma surgeon has an average salary of $406,184, 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 trauma surgeon are critical care, patient care, and trauma surgery.

Orthopedic surgeon vs trauma surgeon overview

	Orthopedic Surgeon	Trauma Surgeon
Yearly salary	$137,571	$406,184
Hourly rate	$66.14	$195.28
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	5,046	3,750
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 25%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

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 trauma surgeon do?

Trauma surgeons attend to ER patients who fall into certain categories of medical conditions such as low blood pressure following a car accident or if emergency surgery is needed to prevent permanent damage or save their lives. They will assume responsibility for the patient's care if hospital admission is needed as well as follow-up care. Other duties of a trauma surgeon include evaluating, diagnosing, and stabilizing a patient with traumatic physical injury, treating patients with cuts, internal injuries, and bone fractures, and evaluating which injuries need medical intervention first.

Orthopedic surgeon vs trauma surgeon salary

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

	Orthopedic Surgeon	Trauma Surgeon
Average salary	$137,571	$406,184
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $257,000	Between $204,000 And $806,000
Highest paying City	Brockton, MA	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	Maine	Minnesota
Best paying company	Trinity Health	Trinity Health
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Professional

Differences between orthopedic surgeon and trauma surgeon education

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

	Orthopedic Surgeon	Trauma Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 25%
Most common major	Nursing	Medicine
Most common college	New York University	Duke University

Orthopedic surgeon vs trauma surgeon demographics

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

	Orthopedic Surgeon	Trauma Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%	Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4%
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, 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%

Differences between orthopedic surgeon and trauma surgeon 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).

Trauma surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage all incoming medical records requests (ensuring office is within HIPPA guidelines).
Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
Observe fracture plating, skin grafting, wind cleaning, amputation, and other Orthopaedic surgeries.

Orthopedic surgeon vs trauma surgeon skills

Common orthopedic surgeon skills

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

Common trauma surgeon skills

Critical Care, 44%
Patient Care, 29%
Trauma Surgery, 20%
Emergency Medicine, 3%
Private Practice, 2%
IV, 1%

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Orthopedic Surgeon
Orthopedic Surgeon vs Trauma Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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