Plastic surgeon vs trauma surgeon

The differences between plastic 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 a plastic surgeon and a trauma surgeon. Additionally, a trauma surgeon has an average salary of $406,184, which is higher than the $172,467 average annual salary of a plastic surgeon.

The top three skills for a plastic surgeon include patients, patient care and hand surgery. The most important skills for a trauma surgeon are critical care, patient care, and trauma surgery.

Plastic surgeon vs trauma surgeon overview

	Plastic Surgeon	Trauma Surgeon
Yearly salary	$172,467	$406,184
Hourly rate	$82.92	$195.28
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	3,906	3,750
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 25%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

What does a plastic surgeon do?

Plastic surgeons must have skills in hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, organization, communication, and teamwork. This career also requires a bachelor's degree in a premedical major and completion of a four-year M.D. and a surgical residency. Those who choose this career path perform reconstructive plastic surgery in order to restore form and function following illness or trauma and/or perform cosmetic surgery for simple alteration of appearance.

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.

Plastic surgeon vs trauma surgeon salary

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

	Plastic Surgeon	Trauma Surgeon
Average salary	$172,467	$406,184
Salary range	Between $87,000 And $339,000	Between $204,000 And $806,000
Highest paying City	Rockville Centre, NY	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	Maine	Minnesota
Best paying company	MaineGeneral Health	Trinity Health
Best paying industry	Professional	Professional

Differences between plastic surgeon and trauma surgeon education

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

	Plastic Surgeon	Trauma Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 25%
Most common major	Nursing	Medicine
Most common college	Case Western Reserve University	Duke University

Plastic surgeon vs trauma surgeon demographics

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

	Plastic Surgeon	Trauma Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4%	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 plastic surgeon and trauma surgeon duties and responsibilities

Plastic surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Develop x-rays, foot and ankle therapies, including hydrotherapy, ultrasound and hot wax.
Assist with surgery scheduling, casting/removing, & casting for orthotics.
Check patient in/out, collect co-payments/deductibles that apply for orthotics, enter charges/post payments.
Perform administrative tasks regarding origination paperwork for patients, preoperative paperwork, medical clearance, financing and payment.
Complete knowledge of military and DOD protocols pertaining to network and computer systems.

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.

Plastic surgeon vs trauma surgeon skills

Common plastic surgeon skills

Patients, 55%
Patient Care, 9%
Hand Surgery, 6%
Private Practice, 6%
Medical Procedures, 5%
Surgical Procedures, 4%

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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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Plastic Surgeon
Plastic Surgeon vs Trauma Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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