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The differences between surgeons and software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a surgeon, becoming a software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a surgeon has an average salary of $155,553, which is higher than the $100,260 average annual salary of a software engineer.
The top three skills for a surgeon include patients, general surgery and healthcare. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Surgeon | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $155,553 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $74.79 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 37,918 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 49 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Surgeons and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surgeon | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $155,553 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $284,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lewiston, ME | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maine | California |
| Best paying company | MaineGeneral Health | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a surgeon and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Surgeon | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Medicine | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Duke University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between surgeons' and software engineers' demographics:
| Surgeon | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 49 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 8% |