Pain management physician vs general surgery physician assistant

The differences between pain management physicians and general surgery physician assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pain management physician has an average salary of $253,724, which is higher than the $228,104 average annual salary of a general surgery physician assistant.

The top three skills for a pain management physician include pain management, patients and primary care. The most important skills for a general surgery physician assistant are patients, plastic surgery, and patient care.

Pain management physician vs general surgery physician assistant overview

	Pain Management Physician	General Surgery Physician Assistant
Yearly salary	$253,724	$228,104
Hourly rate	$121.98	$109.67
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	109,196	81,744
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does a pain management physician do?

Pain management physicians are medical doctors who diagnose and coordinate treatment while providing care for patients who are experiencing pain. By understanding the physiology of pain, these physicians are required to conduct specialized tests to diagnose complex pain conditions as well as prescribe proper medications and therapies to treat them. They must observe their patients for their ability to function and overall quality of life. Pain management physicians must also work with other healthcare professionals such as physical therapists, physiatrists, and nurses to meet all the needs of their patients.

What does a general surgery physician assistant do?

A General Surgery Physician Assistant helps surgeon with various tasks, such as inserting tubes, retracting issues, starting intravenous solutions, and others. They also write orders for patients while they are in the recovery room, as well as examine and monitor patients as they recover from their surgeries.

Pain management physician vs general surgery physician assistant salary

Pain management physicians and general surgery physician assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pain Management Physician	General Surgery Physician Assistant
Average salary	$253,724	$228,104
Salary range	Between $129,000 And $497,000	Between $118,000 And $439,000
Highest paying City	Grand Island, NE	Montclair, CA
Highest paying state	Nebraska	California
Best paying company	HealthPartners	Beaufort Memorial Hospital
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Professional

Differences between pain management physician and general surgery physician assistant education

There are a few differences between a pain management physician and a general surgery physician assistant in terms of educational background:

	Pain Management Physician	General Surgery Physician Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Nursing	Physician Assistant
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Pain management physician vs general surgery physician assistant demographics

Here are the differences between pain management physicians' and general surgery physician assistants' demographics:

	Pain Management Physician	General Surgery Physician Assistant
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 28.7% Female, 71.3%	Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 11.4% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between pain management physician and general surgery physician assistant duties and responsibilities

Pain management physician example responsibilities.

Work closely with patients to manage their depression and anxiety beginning with initial diagnosis to med-initiation and follow-up care.
Perform prosthetic rehabilitation for amputee patients and participate in workshop on post prosthetic rehabilitation.
Operate EMR (electronic medical record )
Sell OFIRMEV to surgery centers for use in peri-operative protocols as an analgesic therapy.
work hardening rehabilitation in an outpatient clinic setting
Participate in workshop on spinal cord injuries and orthotic rehabilitation.

General surgery physician assistant example responsibilities.

Work closely with patients to manage their depression and anxiety beginning with initial diagnosis to med-initiation and follow-up care.
Develop basic surgical skills, such as suturing, retracting of tissue; debridement of wounds.
Order, perform, and interpret laboratory and radiology test within the scope of professional practice.
Educate patients on post-operative recovery and discharge needs.
Evaluate patients for admission from the emergency room and perform inpatient consultations.
Monitor stress testing; review nuclear component of stress images; conduct cardiology consultations inpatient and outpatient settings.

Pain management physician vs general surgery physician assistant skills

Common pain management physician skills

Pain Management, 26%
Patients, 19%
Primary Care, 7%
Family Practice, 6%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Surgery, 4%

Common general surgery physician assistant skills

Patients, 34%
Plastic Surgery, 20%
Patient Care, 13%
Physician Assistants, 6%
Surgical Procedures, 4%
Physical Examinations, 3%

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Pain Management Physician vs General Surgery Physician Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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