2024 general surgery salary report: Salary up slightly, 68% still feeling underpaid

According to the 2024 Medscape General Surgeon Compensation Report, the average salary for general surgeons rose 2.7% last year to $423,000. This rate of increase is below the U.S. physician's total compensation average, which grew about 3% last year.

While general surgeons have seen a slight uptick in their average salary, whether this increase is sufficient to offset the demands and challenges of the profession remains a topic of debate. While their earnings are respectable, several other medical specialties still outpace them.

Average income for general surgeons in 2023 compared to 2022

Based on the 2024 Medscape General Surgeon Compensation Report, the average general surgeon salary ranked 11th among the 29 specialties surveyed. Surgeons earned an average annual income of $423,000 in 2023, representing a modest $11,000 increase from the previous year's average of $412,000.

In the past five years, surgeons have never been the top earners compared to their peers, often falling behind orthopedists, plastic surgeons, cardiologists, and urologists. That said, general surgeons typically rank just above the middle earners and earn well above the overall physician average of $363,000.

How much potential pay matters in choosing general surgery

Eighty-three percent of physicians — and general surgeons — say that future pay had only a minor or no factor in their choice of specialty.

Average general surgeon incentive bonus in 2023

Much like physicians overall (roughly 58%), about six in 10 general surgeons responded to the survey stating they had a chance at an incentive bonus.

In 2023, general surgeons earned an average $54,000 bonus, a drastic decrease from 2022, when the average incentive bonus for general surgeons was $75,000.

According to the report, these were often awarded based on suitable performance rather than as an incentive for poor performers to improve.

How many general surgeons work extra to supplement their income

Even with bonuses and an above-average income compared to their physician peers, some surgeons still pursue additional work to supplement their income.

Nearly four in 10 general surgeons take on extra work to supplement their income (36%), a slight dip from the 38% who reported taking on additional work inside or outside the medical profession in last year’s survey report.

Of the 36% who pursue side hustles, most gigs are medical-related, including medical moonlighting/locum tenens. Only 11% of survey respondents earning supplemental income cite pursuing non-medical-related work. Also, 2% of respondents reported adding more hours to their primary physician job to supplement their income.

Some general surgeons, like Dr. Steven Berman, opt to work locum tenens full-time. "I personally am glad that I am a fulltime independent contractor," He explains. "It doesn’t take away enough of the politics, but it allows me at least a little more opportunity to return to my roots and go to a place and take care of patients clinically. You still have the computers, and you still have the hospital administration that is not helpful for doctors, but at least I go there, I put in clinical work, and when I’m done, I go home, and I don’t have to deal with any of the other nonsense.”

He continues, “For me, locums has been a reasonable bridge from being a full-time practicing surgeon to retirement, which is going to come not soon enough but hopefully within a year."

How many general surgeons feel fairly compensated

A full 68% of general surgeons felt they were generally underpaid. But the responses were more middling when they were drilled deeper by reflecting on their compensation. Forty-six percent believe they are fairly paid given their work demands, whereas the remaining 54% might harbor concerns about their income keeping pace with rising costs.

This is lower than the responses from other specialties surveyed. General surgeons are at the bottom half when considering compensation satisfaction compared to their colleagues.

One possible perk? General surgeons enjoy a relative advantage in terms of administrative burden compared to some other medical specialties. Typically, their weeks aren’t mired in documentation as much as other specialists report.

Dr. Bermen not only enjoys the substantial monetary perks of working locum tenens to meet his financial goals better, but he loves the flexibility, too. “I can work part-time if I want to. Starting next year, if I’m going to work at all, it’s going to be no more than a weekend a month, and I can do that through locums where I couldn’t possibly do it through a private practice environment.”

What general surgeons find to be the most challenging parts of their jobs

General surgeons experience some frustrations on the job. Managing excessive rules and regulations displeased 21% of respondents in 2023, edging out difficulties in getting fair reimbursements from insurers, including Medicare (a frustration for 17% of respondents).

Working long hours, worrying about being sued, and dealing with difficult patients round out the top five parts of the job cited as most challenging.

Why general surgeons should consider locum tenens: 3 key advantages of locums

What general surgeons find most rewarding about their jobs

Despite the frustrations, general surgeons still find a lot to love about their jobs. High satisfaction is derived from the sense of being very good at their jobs — nearly one-third of respondents (29%) enjoy finding answers and making diagnoses.

Patients can be challenging at times, but the gratitude received and relationships built are a net positive for general surgeons. Twenty-eight percent of survey respondents find these relationships rewarding overall, an increase of nearly 4% from the prior year’s report.

Other rewarding elements include making the world better by helping others and making good money at a likable job. Being a doctor also gives one a sense of pride and satisfaction, as does teaching others.

How much physician practices and medical businesses impact pay

According to Medscape's survey, a smaller proportion of general surgeons (55%) than physicians (64%) indicated that their income was unaffected by other physicians' practices. Thirty-three percent said that competing physician practices only somewhat affected their income, whereas 11% reported that their income was considerably impacted.

Most surgeons (83%) believe that other medical businesses have little to no impact on their income. This finding aligns with the general consensus that primary care physicians more acutely feel competition from nontraditional healthcare providers than specialists.

General surgeon satisfaction declining

Despite the salary bump, satisfaction among general surgeons is on the decline. Fewer respondents felt fairly compensated compared to last year’s report (46% versus 52%). A large decrease in bonus incentive earnings could be a contributor to the dissatisfaction, which is further pronounced as administrative tasks, such as dealing with insurance companies, continue to be significant sources of stress.

If you are interested in increasing your general surgery salary and reducing your administrative burden, call us at 954.343.3050 or click below to see all of our locum tenens general surgeon job opportunities.