Surgeon's assistant vs thoracic surgeon

The differences between surgeon's assistants and thoracic 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 thoracic surgeon. Additionally, a thoracic surgeon has an average salary of $437,281, 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 thoracic surgeon are patient care, CME, and lung cancer.

Surgeon's assistant vs thoracic surgeon overview

	Surgeon's Assistant	Thoracic Surgeon
Yearly salary	$367,957	$437,281
Hourly rate	$176.90	$210.23
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	2,715	3,460
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Surgeon's assistant vs thoracic surgeon salary

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

	Surgeon's Assistant	Thoracic Surgeon
Average salary	$367,957	$437,281
Salary range	Between $189,000 And $715,000	Between $217,000 And $880,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Maine	Minnesota
Best paying company	Bassett Healthcare Network	Allina Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between surgeon's assistant and thoracic surgeon education

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

	Surgeon's Assistant	Thoracic Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	New York University

Surgeon's assistant vs thoracic surgeon demographics

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

	Surgeon's Assistant	Thoracic Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0%	Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7%
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 thoracic 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.

Thoracic surgeon example responsibilities.

Room patients, check vitals, verify meds, H+P on new patients, EKG as requested by provider.
Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
Apply all HIPPA guidelines to everyday office procedures

Surgeon's assistant vs thoracic surgeon skills

Common surgeon's assistant skills

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

Common thoracic surgeon skills

Patient Care, 57%
CME, 21%
Lung Cancer, 14%
Surgical Procedures, 5%
Community Hospital, 4%
EKG, 0%

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Surgeon's Assistant
Surgeon's Assistant vs Thoracic Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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