Surgical oncologist vs trauma surgeon

The differences between surgical oncologists 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 surgical oncologist and a trauma surgeon. Additionally, a trauma surgeon has an average salary of $406,184, which is higher than the $284,293 average annual salary of a surgical oncologist.

The top three skills for a surgical oncologist include GI, general surgeons and chemotherapy. The most important skills for a trauma surgeon are critical care, patient care, and trauma surgery.

Surgical oncologist vs trauma surgeon overview

	Surgical Oncologist	Trauma Surgeon
Yearly salary	$284,293	$406,184
Hourly rate	$136.68	$195.28
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	24,568	3,750
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 25%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

Surgical oncologist vs trauma surgeon salary

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

	Surgical Oncologist	Trauma Surgeon
Average salary	$284,293	$406,184
Salary range	Between $146,000 And $552,000	Between $204,000 And $806,000
Highest paying City	Coon Rapids, MN	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	Alaska	Minnesota
Best paying company	Allina Health	Trinity Health
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between surgical oncologist and trauma surgeon education

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

	Surgical Oncologist	Trauma Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 25%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Medicine
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Surgical oncologist vs trauma surgeon demographics

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

	Surgical Oncologist	Trauma Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1%	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 surgical oncologist and trauma surgeon duties and responsibilities

Surgical oncologist example responsibilities.

Initiate preventative measures, recognize emergent problems and care for patients requiring long term pain management.
Research and update billing policies as changes are make by CMS.

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.

Surgical oncologist vs trauma surgeon skills

Common surgical oncologist skills

GI, 77%
General Surgeons, 16%
Chemotherapy, 7%

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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Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist vs Trauma Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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