A surgical resident is a doctor still in the process of becoming a surgeon after completing his medical education. Usually, the surgical residency runs for about 5 to 8 years and involves hard hours of learning.
While this professional earns a living, the remuneration is much less than a complete surgeon’s. Hence, we would look at how much a surgical resident salary is, what he does, and factors that can affect how much he makes.
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What does a Surgical Resident Do?
A surgical resident spends about a month or two rotating through different services, such as pediatric surgery, vascular surgery, general surgery, and transplant surgery. The rotation calendar differs depending on the region.
The several job responsibilities he can perform include:
- Getting patients ready for surgery
- Completing physical examinations
- Getting medical histories from patients
Also, there is a lot of non-medical work that a surgical resident can do. They are mostly called ‘scut work and can be done without a medical degree but in a crowded and fast-paced medical environment.
The scut work include:
- Drawing statistic labs
- Having conversations with patients and their families
- Accompanying patients through procedures for testing
- Taking orders from nurses and entering them into the computer
- Making the rounds with social workers to discuss post-discharge placement
Surgical residents are classified into one of three groups:
- Residents under the age of 18
- Senior citizens
- Residents who are in charge
How much does a Surgical Resident Earn?
According to Salary.com, the average surgical resident salary in the United States is $97,634 as of March 27, 2023, but the salary range typically falls between $90,308 and $105,490.
A surgical resident earns slightly more than all medical residents combined. The average medical resident’s salary in 2019 was $61,200. This is according to Medscape’s Residents Salary and Debt Report 2019.
When you compare the above to previous years, you would realize that the surgical resident’s salary has steadily increased.
However, depending on the field of study, the pay scale differs. Orthopedic surgery residents earn an average f $60,700 annually, general surgery residents; $61,000, cosmetic surgery and aesthetic medicine residents $65, 600, and specialty surgery residents $65, 700 annually.
In addition to their salaries, residents also receive benefits from various employers. While 89% say they have health insurance, 87% say they get paid vacation time, and others mention:
- Travel allowance: 66%
- Allowance for meals: 61%
- Allowance for books: 53%
- Fees for exams and licenses: 32%
- Commuter assistance: 25%.
- Housing allowance: 8%
- Childcare allowance: 3%
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Highest Paying Cities for Surgical Resident Jobs
The table below represents cities where the typical salary for a Surgical Resident job is above the national average.
| City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $90,777 | $43.64 |
| Oakland, CA | $89,824 | $43.18 |
| Hayward, CA | $88,111 | $42.36 |
| Seattle, WA | $87,701 | $42.16 |
| Wasilla, AK | $86,642 | $41.65 |
| Concord, CA | $86,590 | $41.63 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | $86,381 | $41.53 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $86,299 | $41.49 |
| Seaside, CA | $84,958 | $40.85 |
| Antioch, CA | $84,320 | $40.54 |
Factors that affect a Surgical Resident’s Salary
The key determinants of a surgical resident’s salary are location and experience because he earns more as he advances through the ranks.
As a result, a junior resident will make a less salaried income than a senior resident will. Medscape analysis of compensation by year shows that a surgical resident earns the following amounts as the years go by.
- $55,200 in the first year
- $57,100 in the second year
- $60,100 in the third year
- $62,400 in the fourth year
- $65,200 in the fifth year
- $67,800 in the sixth year
FAQs on Surgical Resident Salary
A surgical resident is a doctor still in the process of becoming a surgeon after completing his medical education.
A surgical resident spends about a month or two rotating through different services, such as pediatric surgery, vascular surgery, general surgery, and transplant surgery. The several job responsibilities he can perform include:
Getting patients ready for surgery
Completing physical examinations
Getting medical histories from patients
The average surgical resident salary in the United States is $97,634
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