Plastic surgeon demographics and statistics in the US
Plastic surgeon demographics research summary. Zippia estimates plastic surgeon demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our plastic surgeon estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about plastic surgeons after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 9,540 plastic surgeons currently employed in the United States.
- 76.4% of all plastic surgeons are women, while 23.6% are men.
- The average plastic surgeon age is 48 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of plastic surgeons is White (76.6%), followed by Asian (12.7%), Hispanic or Latino (5.0%) and Unknown (3.8%).
- In 2022, women earned 86% of what men earned.
- 12% of all plastic surgeons are LGBT.
- Plastic surgeons are 87% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Plastic surgeon demographics by:
Plastic surgeon gender statistics
76.4% of plastic surgeons are women and 23.6% of plastic surgeons are men.
- Female, 76.4%
- Male, 23.6%
Plastic surgeon gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 76.4% |
| Male | 23.6% |
Plastic surgeon gender pay gap
Women earn 86¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$179,396
Female income
$153,888
Plastic surgeon gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in plastic surgeon positions over time. Currently, 76.4% of plastic surgeons are female.
Plastic surgeon gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.86% | 87.14% |
| 2011 | 12.19% | 87.81% |
| 2012 | 12.57% | 87.43% |
| 2013 | 11.90% | 88.10% |
| 2014 | 11.52% | 88.48% |
| 2015 | 11.62% | 88.38% |
| 2016 | 11.29% | 88.71% |
| 2017 | 10.51% | 89.49% |
| 2018 | 24.46% | 75.54% |
| 2019 | 27.67% | 72.33% |
| 2020 | 23.89% | 76.11% |
| 2021 | 23.62% | 76.38% |
Plastic surgeon related jobs gender ratio
We compared plastic surgeons with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, flight surgeon and optometrist, owner have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Nurse Midwife | 2% | 98% |
| Perinatal Nurse | 3% | 97% |
| Therapeutic Dietitian | 3% | 97% |
| Plastic Surgeon | 24% | 76% |
| Radiology Resident | 75% | 25% |
| Optometrist, Owner | 76% | 24% |
| Flight Surgeon | 82% | 18% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Plastic surgeon demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among plastic surgeons is White, which makes up 76.6% of all plastic surgeons. Comparatively, 12.7% of plastic surgeons are Asian and 5.0% of plastic surgeons are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 76.6%
- Asian, 12.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 5.0%
- Unknown, 3.8%
- Black or African American, 1.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Plastic surgeon race
| Plastic surgeon race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 76.6% |
| Asian | 12.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.0% |
| Unknown | 3.8% |
| Black or African American | 1.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Plastic surgeon race and ethnicity over time
See how plastic surgeon racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Plastic surgeon race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.58% | 3.90% | 18.00% | 5.55% |
| 2011 | 70.62% | 3.97% | 17.92% | 5.40% |
| 2012 | 70.69% | 3.73% | 17.57% | 5.93% |
| 2013 | 68.74% | 4.15% | 18.77% | 6.15% |
| 2014 | 69.87% | 3.78% | 18.35% | 5.89% |
| 2015 | 69.99% | 3.63% | 18.58% | 5.96% |
| 2016 | 67.95% | 4.01% | 19.99% | 5.63% |
| 2017 | 68.57% | 3.87% | 19.15% | 6.06% |
| 2018 | 80.41% | 2.37% | 9.64% | 5.53% |
| 2019 | 81.74% | 2.00% | 9.42% | 4.28% |
| 2020 | 79.90% | 0.87% | 9.44% | 5.07% |
| 2021 | 76.60% | 1.81% | 12.67% | 5.01% |
Plastic surgeon wage gap by race
According to our data, white plastic surgeons have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american plastic surgeons have the lowest average salary at $174,325.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $174,723 |
| White | $185,184 |
| Black or African American | $174,325 |
| Asian | $184,782 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $178,277 |
Average plastic surgeon age
See how the average age of plastic surgeons varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Plastic surgeon age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 44 | |
| White | 49.5 | 42 |
| Asian | 44 | 42 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 48 |
Plastic surgeon age breakdown
The average age of plastic surgeons is 40+ years years old, representing 79% of the plastic surgeon population.
Plastic surgeon age breakdown
| Plastic Surgeon Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 79% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 0% |
Plastic surgeon educational attainment
The most common degree for plastic surgeons is bachelor's degree, with 34% of plastic surgeons earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 9%.
- Bachelor's, 34%
- Associate, 20%
- Master's, 9%
- Doctorate, 9%
- Other Degrees, 28%
Plastic surgeons by degree level
| Plastic surgeon degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 34% |
| Associate | 20% |
| Master's | 9% |
| Doctorate | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 28% |
Plastic surgeon jobs you might like
Plastic surgeon employment statistics
Most plastic surgeons work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where plastic surgeons work
Below, you can see the size of companies where plastic surgeons work.
Plastic surgeon jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 21% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 24% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 28% |
| > 10,000 employees | 5% |
Plastic surgeon jobs by company type
Employees with the plastic surgeon job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most plastic surgeons prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Plastic surgeon jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 8% |
| Public | 2% |
| Private | 87% |
| Government | 3% |
Plastic surgeon jobs by industry
The most common industries for plastic surgeons are health care, professional and education.
Plastic surgeon industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 43% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Education | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Non Profits | 5% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Pharmaceutical | 3% |
| Government | 3% |
| Media | 3% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Real Estate | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Insurance | 3% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
Plastic surgeon turnover and employment statistics
Plastic surgeon unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for plastic surgeons between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Plastic surgeon unemployment rate by year
| Year | Plastic surgeon unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.73% |
| 2011 | 0.72% |
| 2012 | 0.53% |
| 2013 | 0.68% |
| 2014 | 0.67% |
| 2015 | 0.66% |
| 2016 | 0.38% |
| 2017 | 0.38% |
| 2018 | 0.70% |
| 2019 | 0.16% |
| 2020 | 0.58% |
| 2021 | 1.87% |
Average plastic surgeon tenure
The average plastic surgeon stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 440 plastic surgeons resumes in Zippia's database.
Plastic surgeon tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 24% |
| 1-2 years | 29% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 16% |
Plastic surgeon LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of plastic surgeons that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Baby Doctor | 9.88% | 1,178 |
| Anesthesiologist Assistant-Certified | 11.62% | 78,169 |
| Plastic Surgeon | 12.32% | - |
| Clinical Exercise Specialist | 13.00% | 56,463 |
| MD Physician-Dermatologist | 13.05% | 39,000 |
| Optometrist/Practice Owner | 17.57% | 59,755 |
| Chief Nurse Anesthetist | 31.64% | 17,242 |
Similar plastic surgeon jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Baby Doctor | 9.88% | 1,178 |
| Anesthesiologist Assistant-Certified | 11.62% | 78,169 |
| Clinical Exercise Specialist | 13.00% | 56,463 |
| MD Physician-Dermatologist | 13.05% | 39,000 |
| Optometrist/Practice Owner | 17.57% | 59,755 |
| Chief Nurse Anesthetist | 31.64% | 17,242 |
Foreign languages spoken by plastic surgeons
The most common foreign language among plastic surgeons is Spanish at 85.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Korean at 7.1% and French is the third-most popular at 7.1%.
- Spanish, 85.7%
- Korean, 7.1%
- French, 7.1%
Plastic surgeon languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 85.7% |
| Korean | 7.1% |
| French | 7.1% |
