How to hire a trauma surgeon

How to hire a trauma surgeon, step by step

Here's a step-by-step trauma 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 trauma surgeon job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new trauma surgeon
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a trauma surgeon do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the trauma surgeon you need to hire. Certain trauma 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

   A trauma surgeon's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, trauma surgeons from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of trauma surgeon salaries for various roles:

   Type of Trauma Surgeon	Description	Hourly rate
   Trauma 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	$98-387
   Doctor	A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary... Show more	$50-196
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Critical Care
   • Patient Care
   • Trauma Surgery
   • Emergency Medicine
   • Private Practice
   • IV
   • Surgical Procedures
   • Diagnosis
   • Emergency Situations

   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.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your trauma surgeon job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A trauma surgeon can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, trauma surgeons' average salary in hawaii is 34% less than in minnesota.
   • Seniority. Entry-level trauma surgeons 75% less than senior-level trauma surgeons.
   • Certifications. A trauma surgeon with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a trauma surgeon's salary.

   Average trauma surgeon salary

   $406,184yearly

   $195.28 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level trauma surgeon salary

   $204,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 27, 2025

   Average trauma surgeon salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	North Dakota	$443,946	$213
   2	Wisconsin	$429,542	$207
   3	Washington	$415,662	$200
   4	Maine	$380,191	$183
   5	Nebraska	$374,264	$180
   6	Pennsylvania	$356,076	$171
   7	Iowa	$349,279	$168
   8	Colorado	$344,767	$166
   9	Delaware	$344,053	$165
   10	New Jersey	$338,364	$163
   11	Tennessee	$325,134	$156
   12	Georgia	$322,688	$155
   13	Utah	$320,799	$154
   14	Oklahoma	$316,927	$152
   15	New York	$316,074	$152
   16	Ohio	$313,102	$151
   17	Alabama	$310,202	$149
   18	Virginia	$300,069	$144
   19	Illinois	$296,000	$142
   20	New Mexico	$293,476	$141

   Average trauma surgeon salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Trinity Health	$558,303	$268.41	21
   2	OSF HealthCare	$543,551	$261.32	17
   3	Advocate Aurora Health	$533,426	$256.45	9
   4	McLeod Health	$531,957	$255.75
   5	Altru Health System	$514,895	$247.55
   6	Sanford Health	$488,368	$234.79	6
   7	Rochester Regional Health	$479,717	$230.63	1
   8	SSM Health	$478,675	$230.13	2
   9	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$475,351	$228.53	1
   10	Wellstar Health System	$469,056	$225.51	3
   11	Pikeville Medical Center	$466,089	$224.08	2
   12	Lee Regional Health System	$437,159	$210.17	4
   13	SCA Health	$430,157	$206.81
   14	Alaska Native Medical Center	$427,544	$205.55
   15	St John Holdings Inc	$412,263	$198.20
   16	Catholic Health Initiatives - Colorado	$412,263	$198.20	21
   17	Curative	$411,862	$198.01	5
   18	Integrity Locums	$407,975	$196.14	4
   19	Provider Solutions & Development	$406,400	$195.38	21
   20	CHRISTUS Health	$404,813	$194.62	44

4. Writing a trauma surgeon job description

   A good trauma surgeon job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a trauma surgeon job description:

   Trauma surgeon job description example

   An inpatient health organization in Terre Haute is looking to add an Surgeon to their team. Terre Haute is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, only 5 miles east of the state' s western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60, 785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170, 943. This facility is able to quickly credential a provider so they can begin immediately.
   Certification: MD/DO Title: Surgeon - Trauma Board Status : Board Certified Residency/Training: General Surgery Setting : Inpatient Experience: 1 year min requirement
   
   Compensation & Logistics
   
   Position Type : Locums 1099
   
   Availability : Full- Time
   
   Scheduling 7a-7p; 7p-7a (doc must work 12 hr primary + 12 hrs backup), 1 daytime in house & 1 nighttime in house, 7 shifts in a row either once or twice per month.
   
   KPG Provider Services is a West Coast Focused Company with offices in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. We are focused on offering the best, most rewarding opportunities while providing excellent compensation and support.
   
   Outstanding service is at the core of our culture. Our Medical Professionals will experience a service relationship characterized by respect, a sense of urgency, and attention to detail. Our team offers benefits like geographic expertise, understanding commuting times, and top market compensation rates. In short, we focus intently on the things that matter to you with a commitment to achieve exceptional outcomes. Call us and experience the difference! For a complete listing of our current openings visit www.kpgproviders.com!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find trauma surgeons for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any trauma surgeons they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level trauma surgeons with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your trauma surgeon job on Zippia to find and attract quality trauma surgeon candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit trauma surgeons, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 trauma surgeon

   Once you've selected the best trauma surgeon candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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How much does it cost to hire a trauma surgeon?