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Best states for a surgeon
Quoted expert
Brian Thomas Ph.D.
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Do you want to become a surgeon at Southern Illinois Healthcare, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for surgeons that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research shows that Maine is the best state in the country for surgeons.
In order to get you the best states for surgeons, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that Maine is the best state for surgeon jobs, whereas Colorado is the worst.
10 best states for surgeons in 2026
1. Maine
Total surgeon jobs: 103 Average annual salary: $158,298 Lowest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $244,000 Location Quotient: 2.54
2. New Hampshire
Total surgeon jobs: 72 Average annual salary: $145,184 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $230,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
3. Wisconsin
Total surgeon jobs: 418 Average annual salary: $130,439 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $214,000 Location Quotient: 2.47
4. Pennsylvania
Total surgeon jobs: 447 Average annual salary: $137,283 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $224,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
5. New York
Total surgeon jobs: 448 Average annual salary: $141,044 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $228,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
6. Vermont
Total surgeon jobs: 39 Average annual salary: $128,572 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
7. Nevada
Total surgeon jobs: 90 Average annual salary: $128,907 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $213,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
8. North Dakota
Total surgeon jobs: 63 Average annual salary: $124,358 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $201,000 Location Quotient: 2.21
9. Alaska
Total surgeon jobs: 57 Average annual salary: $126,742 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000 Location Quotient: 2.23
10. West Virginia
Total surgeon jobs: 76 Average annual salary: $119,946 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $204,000 Location Quotient: 1.63
Surgeon jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a surgeon
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a surgeon
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $158,298 | $102,000 | 1,335,907 | 103 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $145,184 | $91,000 | 1,342,795 | 72 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $130,439 | $79,000 | 5,795,483 | 418 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $137,283 | $83,000 | 12,805,537 | 447 |
| 5 | New York | $141,044 | $87,000 | 19,849,399 | 448 |
| 6 | Vermont | $128,572 | $78,000 | 623,657 | 39 |
| 7 | Nevada | $128,907 | $77,000 | 2,998,039 | 90 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $124,358 | $76,000 | 755,393 | 63 |
| 9 | Alaska | $126,742 | $78,000 | 739,795 | 57 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $119,946 | $70,000 | 1,815,857 | 76 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $139,566 | $86,000 | 1,059,639 | 20 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $139,148 | $86,000 | 6,859,819 | 203 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $114,795 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 148 |
| 14 | Ohio | $123,838 | $73,000 | 11,658,609 | 226 |
| 15 | Oregon | $120,905 | $71,000 | 4,142,776 | 140 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $121,870 | $73,000 | 5,576,606 | 207 |
| 17 | Virginia | $126,679 | $75,000 | 8,470,020 | 267 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $129,099 | $77,000 | 3,588,184 | 80 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $116,825 | $69,000 | 4,684,333 | 107 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $132,992 | $80,000 | 9,005,644 | 135 |
| 21 | Indiana | $113,883 | $66,000 | 6,666,818 | 241 |
| 22 | Michigan | $116,994 | $68,000 | 9,962,311 | 208 |
| 23 | Washington | $119,443 | $70,000 | 7,405,743 | 238 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $114,778 | $67,000 | 2,984,100 | 64 |
| 25 | Illinois | $114,394 | $67,000 | 12,802,023 | 400 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $106,153 | $62,000 | 869,666 | 83 |
| 27 | Montana | $108,919 | $65,000 | 1,050,493 | 68 |
| 28 | Arizona | $107,618 | $63,000 | 7,016,270 | 297 |
| 29 | Maryland | $116,007 | $67,000 | 6,052,177 | 175 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $109,789 | $63,000 | 10,273,419 | 298 |
| 31 | Missouri | $111,858 | $65,000 | 6,113,532 | 161 |
| 32 | Delaware | $115,301 | $67,000 | 961,939 | 23 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $102,437 | $58,000 | 5,024,369 | 194 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $112,572 | $66,000 | 1,427,538 | 31 |
| 35 | Idaho | $110,440 | $64,000 | 1,716,943 | 45 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $108,773 | $64,000 | 1,920,076 | 54 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $97,719 | $56,000 | 3,930,864 | 122 |
| 38 | Iowa | $100,080 | $58,000 | 3,145,711 | 114 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $104,389 | $60,000 | 3,004,279 | 61 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $92,108 | $53,000 | 2,088,070 | 147 |
| 41 | California | $112,758 | $66,000 | 39,536,653 | 547 |
| 42 | Georgia | $100,849 | $57,000 | 10,429,379 | 323 |
| 43 | Kansas | $98,168 | $56,000 | 2,913,123 | 94 |
| 44 | Texas | $101,158 | $58,000 | 28,304,596 | 494 |
| 45 | District of Columbia | $111,322 | $64,000 | 693,972 | 5 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $87,981 | $49,000 | 6,715,984 | 196 |
| 47 | Alabama | $95,278 | $54,000 | 4,874,747 | 113 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $90,847 | $53,000 | 579,315 | 15 |
| 49 | Florida | $82,859 | $46,000 | 20,984,400 | 442 |
| 50 | Utah | $94,314 | $54,000 | 3,101,833 | 42 |
| 51 | Colorado | $85,617 | $49,000 | 5,607,154 | 103 |
Highest paying states for surgeons
| Rank | State | Avg. Surgeon Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $158,298 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $145,184 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $130,439 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $137,283 |
| 5 | New York | $141,044 |
| 6 | Vermont | $128,572 |
| 7 | Nevada | $128,907 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $124,358 |
| 9 | Alaska | $126,742 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $119,946 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $139,566 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $139,148 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $114,795 |
| 14 | Ohio | $123,838 |
| 15 | Oregon | $120,905 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $121,870 |
| 17 | Virginia | $126,679 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $129,099 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $116,825 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $132,992 |
| 21 | Indiana | $113,883 |
| 22 | Michigan | $116,994 |
| 23 | Washington | $119,443 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $114,778 |
| 25 | Illinois | $114,394 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $106,153 |
| 27 | Montana | $108,919 |
| 28 | Arizona | $107,618 |
| 29 | Maryland | $116,007 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $109,789 |
| 31 | Missouri | $111,858 |
| 32 | Delaware | $115,301 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $102,437 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $112,572 |
| 35 | Idaho | $110,440 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $108,773 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $97,719 |
| 38 | Iowa | $100,080 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $104,389 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $92,108 |
| 41 | California | $112,758 |
| 42 | Georgia | $100,849 |
| 43 | Kansas | $98,168 |
| 44 | Texas | $101,158 |
| 45 | District of Columbia | $111,322 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $87,981 |
| 47 | Alabama | $95,278 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $90,847 |
| 49 | Florida | $82,859 |
| 50 | Utah | $94,314 |
| 51 | Colorado | $85,617 |
Expert opinions on the best states for surgeons
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for surgeons to find work opportunities?
Brian Thomas Ph.D.
Professor, Washburn University
I think there are opportunities everywhere. Some places may have a higher concentration of employment opportunities. A couple of examples would be Silicon Valley and the Seattle area, but technology companies are not just limited to those high-profile areas.
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Updated January 8, 2025