Surgeon's assistant vs flight surgeon

The differences between surgeon's assistants 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's assistant and a flight surgeon. Additionally, a flight surgeon has an average salary of $429,498, which is higher than the $367,957 average annual salary of a surgeon's assistant.

The top three skills for a surgeon's assistant include patients, ortho and EMR. The most important skills for a flight surgeon are primary care, USAF, and medical support.

Surgeon's assistant vs flight surgeon overview

	Surgeon's Assistant	Flight Surgeon
Yearly salary	$367,957	$429,498
Hourly rate	$176.90	$206.49
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	2,715	4,876
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Doctoral Degree, 41%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Surgeon's assistant vs flight surgeon salary

Surgeon's assistants and flight surgeons have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Surgeon's Assistant	Flight Surgeon
Average salary	$367,957	$429,498
Salary range	Between $189,000 And $715,000	Between $214,000 And $860,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	-
Highest paying state	Maine	-
Best paying company	Bassett Healthcare Network	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between surgeon's assistant and flight surgeon education

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

	Surgeon's Assistant	Flight Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Doctoral Degree, 41%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Medicine
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Surgeon's assistant vs flight surgeon demographics

Here are the differences between surgeon's assistants' and flight surgeons' demographics:

	Surgeon's Assistant	Flight Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0%	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's assistant and flight surgeon duties and responsibilities

Surgeon's assistant example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Perform in-office suturing and skin closures in the operating room.
Perform vital sign checks, glucose level assessments and EKG's.
Provide education to patients anticipating surgery, to reduce patient anxiety, and enhance surgical outcome.
Gather outpatients' background and provide companionship and emotional support for thoracic cancer patients and families.
Board-Certify dermatologist performing Mohs surgery, advance reconstruction, blepharoplasty, liposuction, cosmetic & medical dermatology.

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's assistant vs flight surgeon skills

Common surgeon's assistant skills

Patients, 19%
Ortho, 17%
EMR, 16%
General Surgery, 8%
Surgical Procedures, 7%
Direct Patient Care, 5%

Common flight surgeon skills

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

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Surgeon's Assistant
Surgeon's Assistant vs Flight Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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