How to hire a thoracic surgeon

How to hire a thoracic surgeon, step by step

Here's a step-by-step thoracic surgeon hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a thoracic surgeon job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new thoracic surgeon
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a thoracic surgeon do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the thoracic surgeon you need to hire. Certain thoracic surgeon roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a thoracic surgeon to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a thoracic surgeon that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of thoracic surgeons.

   Type of Thoracic Surgeon	Description	Hourly rate
   Thoracic Surgeon	Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests... Show more	$104-423
   Neurosurgeon	A Neurosurgeon is responsible for diagnosing conditions related to the nervous system, determining treatment plans, and administering medications. Neurosurgeons perform surgeries and conduct further laboratory tests to track their progress and adjust treatment plans as needed... Show more	$90-340
   Vascular Surgeon	An avascular surgeon is a medical expert who specializes in treating conditions that affect blood vessels, primarily by performing surgeries. Before conducting surgical procedures, they must study the patients' medical histories, coordinate with staff and other experts, perform tests and examinations, determine surgical risks, and provide patients with consultations... Show more	$81-297

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patient Care
   • CME
   • Lung Cancer
   • Surgical Procedures
   • Community Hospital
   • EKG

   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

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the thoracic surgeon job description is a good way to get more applicants. A thoracic surgeon salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a thoracic surgeon in Missouri may be lower than in Minnesota, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level thoracic surgeon. Additionally, a thoracic surgeon with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average thoracic surgeon salary

   $437,281yearly

   $210.23 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level thoracic surgeon salary

   $217,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average thoracic surgeon salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Minnesota	$490,616	$236
   2	North Dakota	$486,378	$234
   3	Washington	$462,477	$222
   4	Wisconsin	$432,983	$208
   5	Michigan	$404,226	$194
   6	Pennsylvania	$395,777	$190
   7	Maryland	$372,632	$179
   8	Colorado	$364,160	$175
   9	Connecticut	$357,390	$172
   10	New Jersey	$356,418	$171
   11	West Virginia	$356,270	$171
   12	New York	$349,991	$168
   13	Utah	$345,309	$166
   14	Illinois	$343,879	$165
   15	Oklahoma	$332,153	$160
   16	Tennessee	$332,009	$160
   17	Louisiana	$328,714	$158
   18	Alabama	$326,538	$157
   19	Ohio	$323,505	$156
   20	Georgia	$321,465	$155

   Average thoracic surgeon salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Allina Health	$574,088	$276.00	8
   2	Altru Health System	$541,571	$260.37
   3	SSM Health	$506,148	$243.34	11
   4	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$498,421	$239.63	1
   5	Rochester Regional Health	$498,354	$239.59	1
   6	Dignity Health	$478,008	$229.81	11
   7	Regional Medical Center- Orangeburg	$446,574	$214.70
   8	Ascension Michigan	$445,090	$213.99	10
   9	Virginia Mason Institute	$436,955	$210.07	9
   10	InSync Healthcare Solutions	$429,311	$206.40	2
   11	Catholic Health Initiatives - Colorado	$428,676	$206.09	20
   12	Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr.	$428,150	$205.84	1
   13	Tal Healthcare	$426,945	$205.26	1
   14	CHRISTUS Health	$426,542	$205.07	22
   15	Integrity Locums	$424,452	$204.06
   16	Provider Solutions & Development	$422,977	$203.35	23
   17	Fors Marsh Group	$404,608	$194.52
   18	Berkshire Medical Center	$399,851	$192.24
   19	Merritt Hawkins	$399,815	$192.22
   20	The Moses H Cone Memorial Hospital	$385,764	$185.46

4. Writing a thoracic surgeon job description

   A thoracic surgeon job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a thoracic surgeon job description:

   Thoracic surgeon job description example

   Are you an accomplished Board Certified General Thoracic Surgeon? Are you passionate about your work/life balance? We are seeking flexible and experienced physicians for our medical reviewstream division. This telecommute role provides the ability for you to customize your schedule and caseload within a Monday - Friday work week and within business hours. Create a flexible work schedule and be compensated on a per case basis as a 1099 independent contractor. Preferred candidates will have a CA license. JOB SUMMARY:
   Relying on clinical background, reviews health claims providing medical interpretation and decisions about the appropriateness of services provided by other healthcare professionals in compliance with Concentra Physician Review policies, procedures, and performance standards and URAAC guidelines and state regulations. Responsibilities MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
   • Reviews medical files and provides recommendations for utilization review, chart reviews, medical necessity, appropriateness of care and return to work, short and long-term disability, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Group health and workers' compensation claims.
   • Meets (when required) with Concentra Physician Review Medical Director to discuss quality of care and credentialing and state licensure issues.
   • Maintain proper credentialing and state licenses and any special certifications or requirements necessary to perform the job.
   • Returns cases in a timely manner with clear concise and complete rationales and documented criteria.
   • Telephonically contacts providers and interacts with other health professionals in a professional manner. Discusses the appropriate disclaimers and appeal process with the providers.
   • Attends orientation and training
   • Performs other duties as assigned including identifying and responding to quality assurance issues, complaints, regulatory issues, depositions, court appearances, or audits.
   • Identifies, critiques, and utilizes current criteria and resources such as national, state, and professional association guidelines and peer reviewed literature that support sound and objective decision making and rationales in reviews.
   • Provides copies of any criteria utilized in a review to a requesting provider in a timely manner Qualifications EDUCATION/CREDENTIALS:
   -Board certified MD, DO, with an excellent understanding of network services and managed care, appropriate utilization of services and credentialing, quality assurance and the development of policies that support these services.
   -Current, unrestricted clinical license(s) (or if the license is restricted, the organization has a process to ensure job functions do not violate the restrictions imposed by the State Board);
   -Board certification by American Board of Medical specialties or American Board of Osteopathic Specialties is required for MD or DO reviewer.
   -Must be in active medical practice to perform appeals
   
   JOB-RELATED EXPERIENCE:
   Post-graduate experience in direct patient care
   
   JOB-RELATED SKILLS/COMPETENCIES:
   -Demonstrated computer skills, telephonic skills
   -Demonstrated ability to perform review services.
   -Ability to work with various professionals including members of regulatory agencies, carriers, employers, nurses and health care professionals.
   -Medical direction shall also be provided consistent with the requirement that the physician advisor shall not have a financial conflict of interest
   -Must present evidence of current error and omissions liability coverage for job duties and activities performed
   -Managed care orientation
   -Knowledge of current practice standards in specialty
   -Good negotiation and communication skills
   
   WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
   -Phone accessability
   -Access to a computer to complete reviews
   -Ability to complete cases accompanied by a typed report in specified time frames
   -Telephonic conferences This job requires access to confidential and sensitive information, requiring ongoing discretion and secure information management. Concentra is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veteran Concentra's Data Protection Commitment
   * Concentra is committed to protect patient data and to ensure privacy of personal and medical information.
   * Every Concentra colleague has the responsibility to adhere to data protection principles.
   * If a colleague's role includes handling or processing sensitive data, role-specific policies and requirements apply to ensure the protection of patient information. Additional Data Concentra is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans We can recommend jobs specifically for you! Click here to get started.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right thoracic surgeon for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your thoracic surgeon job on Zippia to find and recruit thoracic surgeon candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit thoracic surgeons, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new thoracic surgeon

   Once you have selected a candidate for the thoracic surgeon position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new thoracic surgeon. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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