Surgeon vs trauma surgeon

The differences between 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 surgeon and a trauma surgeon. Additionally, a trauma surgeon has an average salary of $406,184, 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 trauma surgeon are critical care, patient care, and trauma surgery.

Surgeon vs trauma surgeon overview

	Surgeon	Trauma Surgeon
Yearly salary	$155,553	$406,184
Hourly rate	$74.79	$195.28
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	37,918	3,750
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 25%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

What does a surgeon do?

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.

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.

Surgeon vs trauma surgeon salary

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

	Surgeon	Trauma Surgeon
Average salary	$155,553	$406,184
Salary range	Between $85,000 And $284,000	Between $204,000 And $806,000
Highest paying City	Lewiston, ME	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	Maine	Minnesota
Best paying company	MaineGeneral Health	Trinity Health
Best paying industry	Professional	Professional

Differences between surgeon and trauma surgeon education

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

	Surgeon	Trauma Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 25%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Surgeon vs trauma surgeon demographics

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

	Surgeon	Trauma Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%	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 surgeon and trauma 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.

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.

Surgeon vs trauma surgeon skills

Common surgeon skills

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

Common trauma surgeon skills

Critical Care, 44%
Patient Care, 29%
Trauma Surgery, 20%
Emergency Medicine, 3%
Private Practice, 2%
IV, 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 Trauma Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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