Physician vs surgeon

The differences between physicians and surgeons can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a physician, becoming a surgeon takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a physician has an average salary of $238,887, which is higher than the $155,553 average annual salary of a surgeon.

The top three skills for a physician include patients, surgery and patient care. The most important skills for a surgeon are patients, general surgery, and healthcare.

Physician vs surgeon overview

	Physician	Surgeon
Yearly salary	$238,887	$155,553
Hourly rate	$114.85	$74.79
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	46,489	37,918
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	48	49
Years of experience	4	6

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.

What does a surgeon do?

A surgeon is a medical professional who conducts surgical procedures on the human body to treat injuries and diseases such as broken bones and cancerous tumors. Surgeons are required to review test results to identify abnormal findings and recommend a plan of treatment to patients. They must manage surgical technicians during the surgery process to ensure all standards of care and safety are followed in the operating room. Surgeons must also address concerns that the patients have about their health and well-being.

Physician vs surgeon salary

Physicians and surgeons have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physician	Surgeon
Average salary	$238,887	$155,553
Salary range	Between $128,000 And $442,000	Between $85,000 And $284,000
Highest paying City	Cleveland, TN	Lewiston, ME
Highest paying state	Wisconsin	Maine
Best paying company	Yuma Regional Medical Center	MaineGeneral Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between physician and surgeon education

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

	Physician	Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Physician vs surgeon demographics

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

	Physician	Surgeon
Average age	48	49
Gender ratio	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
Race ratio	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%	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	13%	12%

Differences between physician and surgeon duties and responsibilities

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.

Surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Assist senior staff in dental treatment of several complex procedures including dental treatment of medically compromise patients.
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.

Physician vs surgeon skills

Common physician skills

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

Common surgeon skills

Patients, 26%
General Surgery, 12%
Healthcare, 12%
Patient Care, 7%
Mohs, 5%
Private Practice, 4%

Physician vs. similar jobs

Physician related careers

Physician related jobs

Physician jobs by location

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Physician vs Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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