Transplant surgeon vs general surgeon

The differences between transplant surgeons and general 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 transplant surgeon and a general surgeon. Additionally, a transplant surgeon has an average salary of $405,796, which is higher than the $223,321 average annual salary of a general surgeon.

The top three skills for a transplant surgeon include private practice, and . The most important skills for a general surgeon are patients, EMR, and medical education.

Transplant surgeon vs general surgeon overview

	Transplant Surgeon	General Surgeon
Yearly salary	$405,796	$223,321
Hourly rate	$195.09	$107.37
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	3,688	45,174
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	6	6

What does a transplant surgeon do?

A transplant surgeon is a medical expert who specializes in organ transplants, such as heart, kidney, liver, and lung. Besides performing life-saving surgeries, they also study the patients' and donors' medical histories, conduct extensive research and analysis to ensure the compatibility of patients and donors, coordinate with fellow experts from planning to execution, and provide care to patients before and after surgeries. Moreover, a transplant surgeon may also share their expertise and participate in research studies.

What does a general surgeon do?

The General Surgeon's role is to perform operations to treat or prevent diseases, repair damage caused by injuries, and improve the functions of the human body through the use of different surgical instruments. They also assess patients and explain different diagnostic tests that are performed.

Transplant surgeon vs general surgeon salary

Transplant surgeons and general surgeons have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Transplant Surgeon	General Surgeon
Average salary	$405,796	$223,321
Salary range	Between $204,000 And $803,000	Between $121,000 And $411,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Watertown, NY
Highest paying state	Alaska	Connecticut
Best paying company	University of Maryland, Baltimore	Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between transplant surgeon and general surgeon education

There are a few differences between a transplant surgeon and a general surgeon in terms of educational background:

	Transplant Surgeon	General Surgeon
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	Northwestern University	Duke University

Transplant surgeon vs general surgeon demographics

Here are the differences between transplant surgeons' and general surgeons' demographics:

	Transplant Surgeon	General Surgeon
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2%	Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%
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 transplant surgeon and general surgeon duties and responsibilities

Transplant surgeon example responsibilities.

Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
Handle confidential and sensitive information with accuracy and according to HIPAA policies.

General surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Provide preoperative diagnosis of patients, perform the necessary emergency or elective surgery, and provide postoperative surgical care and treatment.
Provide patient ancillary testing such as EKG, NDX and NCV.
Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
Assist the physician during angioplasty and endovenous laser ablation procedures.
Clean operating room and wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.

Transplant surgeon vs general surgeon skills

Common transplant surgeon skills

Private Practice, 100%

Common general surgeon skills

Patients, 34%
EMR, 14%
Medical Education, 9%
Patient Care, 8%
Endoscopy, 6%
Private Practice, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Transplant Surgeon
Transplant Surgeon vs General Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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