Surgeon's assistant vs trauma surgeon

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

Surgeon's assistant vs trauma surgeon overview

	Surgeon's Assistant	Trauma Surgeon
Yearly salary	$367,957	$406,184
Hourly rate	$176.90	$195.28
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	2,715	3,750
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 25%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Surgeon's assistant vs trauma surgeon salary

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

	Surgeon's Assistant	Trauma Surgeon
Average salary	$367,957	$406,184
Salary range	Between $189,000 And $715,000	Between $204,000 And $806,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	Maine	Minnesota
Best paying company	Bassett Healthcare Network	Trinity Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between surgeon's assistant and trauma surgeon education

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

	Surgeon's Assistant	Trauma Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 25%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Medicine
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Surgeon's assistant vs trauma surgeon demographics

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

	Surgeon's Assistant	Trauma Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0%	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's assistant and trauma 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.

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's assistant vs trauma surgeon skills

Common surgeon's assistant skills

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

Common trauma surgeon skills

Critical Care, 44%
Patient Care, 29%
Trauma Surgery, 20%
Emergency Medicine, 3%
Private Practice, 2%
IV, 1%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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