Surgeon vs flight surgeon

The differences between surgeons and flight 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 surgeon and a flight surgeon. Additionally, a flight surgeon has an average salary of $429,498, which is higher than the $155,553 average annual salary of a surgeon.

The top three skills for a surgeon include patients, general surgery and healthcare. The most important skills for a flight surgeon are primary care, USAF, and medical support.

Surgeon vs flight surgeon overview

	Surgeon	Flight Surgeon
Yearly salary	$155,553	$429,498
Hourly rate	$74.79	$206.49
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	37,918	4,876
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Doctoral Degree, 41%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Surgeon vs flight surgeon salary

Surgeons and flight surgeons have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Surgeon	Flight Surgeon
Average salary	$155,553	$429,498
Salary range	Between $85,000 And $284,000	Between $214,000 And $860,000
Highest paying City	Lewiston, ME	-
Highest paying state	Maine	-
Best paying company	MaineGeneral Health	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between surgeon and flight surgeon education

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

	Surgeon	Flight Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Doctoral Degree, 41%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Surgeon vs flight surgeon demographics

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

	Surgeon	Flight Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%	Male, 81.9% Female, 18.1%
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 surgeon and flight surgeon duties and responsibilities

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.

Flight surgeon example responsibilities.

Attain proficiency in high volume spay/neuter surgeries in order to support the mission of fighting pet overpopulation.
Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
Collect R/R, IME and QME as they come in thru the billing department without having the case settle.

Surgeon vs flight surgeon skills

Common surgeon skills

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

Common flight surgeon skills

Primary Care, 59%
USAF, 29%
Medical Support, 4%
Physical Exams, 3%
Medical Examinations, 1%
NASA, 1%

Surgeon vs. similar jobs

Surgeon related careers

Surgeon related jobs

What similar roles do

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Surgeon
Surgeon vs Flight Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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