Cardiac Surgeon Salary

Cardiac surgeons, or heart surgeons, employed in the United States typically earn annual salaries in the range from $99,543 to $554,094 including bonuses according to the salary information provided by Payscale. The bonuses for these professionals can amount to up to $71,476 a year.

Heart surgeons with a certification in Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery from the American Board of Thoracic Surgery report annual earnings in the range from $350,000 to $575,000 according to Payscale’s salary data. Other popular certifications among these professionals are that of an Advanced Certified Doctor (SORSI) and those given by the American Board of Surgery (ABS). Cardiac surgeons with the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD) typically earn between $101,367 and $690,428 a year.

Salary range



Cardiac surgeon salaries can vary depending on years of experience. Cardiac surgeons with 1 to 4 years of experience typically earn an annual pay in the range from $62,511 to $459,058, and those with 5 to 9 years of experience are paid between $133,154 and $572,726 annually.

Professionals with 10 to 19 years of experience report yearly salaries in the range from $84,563 to $518,254, and those with 20 or more years of experience under their belt are paid between $98,633 and $542,338 a year according to the salary data provided by Payscale.

In terms of employer type, cardiac surgeons employed by hospitals typically earn salaries in the range from $82,045 to $538,431 a year, while professionals employed by companies report an annual pay in the range from $417,620 to $504,722 according to Payscale’s salary data.

Average salary

The average salary for cardiac surgeons working in the United States is $308,064 a year according to Payscale, $533,084 a year according to the American Medical Group Association (AMGA), and $296,688 a year according to Jobstat. Jobstat reveals that the top salary recorded for this occupation is $544,309 a year, while the lowest annual income reported is $82,164.

Starting salary

The average starting salary for cardiac surgeons in their first year is $360,000 a year according to the salary information provided by the recruitment firm Profiles.

Salary per hour

The average hourly wage for cardiac surgeons employed in the United States is $147.53 according to the salary statistics provided by Jobstat.net. The best paid heart surgeons earn $270.67 per hour on average, while the lowest reported hourly rate for this occupation is $40.86.

Benefits

Benefits packages can reflect a heart surgeon’s annual salary. Professionals who get 401(k) plans generally report earnings in the range from $64,764 to $557,441 a year, and those who get life and disability insurance as part of their benefits package typically make between $63,274 and $695,305 a year.



Cardiac surgeons who have 403(b) plans are generally paid between $207,135 and $509,381 annually, and those who get malpractice and liability insurance typically report salaries in the range from $195,893 to $406,946 a year.

Professionals who get paid holidays and vacations as part of their benefits package report earning between $100,000 and $500,000 a year, and those who get paid sick leave are typically paid between $98,264 and $207,135 a year. Cardiac surgeons who get reimbursement for professional training, tuition, education, or certification report annual salaries in the range from $81,426 to $351,800 a year according to the salary data provided by Payscale.

The most popular benefits and perks among cardiac surgeons are 401(k) plans, life and disability insurance, 403(b) plans, paid vacations and holidays, paid sick leave, cell phone, and malpractice and liability insurance.

Salary by state

Cardiac surgeons’ yearly salaries can vary significantly depending on geographical location. For example, heart surgeons employed in California typically earn salaries in the range from $99,159 to $393,054 a year, while those based in New York generally report an annual income in the range from $96,958 to $467,189 according to the salary statistics provided by Payscale.

Bonuses

Along with the basic salary, cardiac surgeons also get yearly bonus payments. Professionals with 1 to 4 years of experience get $5,000 a year on average in bonuses, and those with 5 to 9 years of experience report getting about $5,087 a year. Heart surgeons with 10 to 19 years of experience are typically paid around $6,000 annually, while those with 20 or more years of experience under their belt earn bonuses in the average amount of $13,000 a year according to Payscale’s salary statistics.


Cardiac surgeons’ bonuses tend to vary from state to state. Professionals based in Texas get $35,000 a year on average, those working in Illinois are paid around $30,000 annually, and heart surgeons employed in New York get $11,500 a year on average in bonus money. Surgeons working in Georgia report earning bonuses in the average amount of $10,000 a year, and those employed in California get around $7,500 annually. Cardiac surgeons based in Virginia are paid $2,000 a year on average, and those working in New Jersey are paid around $1,200 a year in bonuses according to Payscale’s salary figures.

The average yearly bonuses can also vary significantly from city to city. Cardiac surgeons based in New York typically get $13,000 a year, those employed in Atlanta earn around $10,000 annually in bonuses, and professionals working in Chicago get $15,000 a year on average. Heart surgeons employed in Los Angeles get $9,826 a year on average, those working in Cleveland are paid around $10,000 a year, surgeons in Baltimore are paid about $5,000 annually, and professionals working in Miami get $4,000 a year on average in bonuses.

The yearly bonuses also depend on the surgeon’s area of specialty. Cardiac surgeons specializing in cardiology get $2,550 a year on average, those specializing in surgery are paid around $24,050 annually, while professionals specializing in open heart surgery report earning $26,000 a year on average in bonuses.

In terms of hospital setting, cardiac surgeons who work at general hospitals are paid $25,000 a year on average, those employed by private practices or working at physicians’ offices get around $13,000 a year, and professionals working in ambulatory care or surgery centers report earning bonuses in the average amount of $1,750 a year.

In terms of industry, cardiac surgeons working at acute care hospitals are paid around $25,000 a year in bonuses, those working at hospitals get around $9,759 annually, and professionals working in cardiothoracic surgery get $5,000 a year on average. Surgeons employed at medical offices are paid around $4,000 a year in bonuses, while the average figure for cardiac surgeons working in the health care sector is $6,000 a year.

In terms of employer type, the highest average bonuses are reported by cardiac surgeons working for non-profit organizations – around $56,500 a year – followed by those employed by companies, who get $20,000 annually on average, and professionals working at universities and colleges, who are paid around $10,000 a year in bonuses according to Payscale’s salary data.

Other income factors

Cardiac surgeon salaries can vary depending on hospital setting. For example, heart surgeons who are employed by general hospitals typically report annual earnings in the range from $103,042 to $547,813, while professionals who work in ambulatory care and surgery centers generally have yearly salaries in the range between $99,442 and $264,515 according to Payscale.

In terms of industry, cardiac surgeons employed in the health care sector generally earn between $97,290 and $604,204 a year. Professionals working at hospitals make between $78,906 and $503,669 a year, while those working in cardiothoracic surgery are typically paid between $216,180 and $431,627 annually according to the salary information provided by Payscale.

The number of hospital beds is yet another factor that can affect a cardiac surgeon’s yearly pay. Heart surgeons employed by institutions with less than 50 beds typically earn between $90,000 and $403,000 a year, and those working at institutions with 100 to 299 beds are generally paid between $275,000 and $485,000 a year. Professionals working at hospitals with 300 to 499 beds report salaries in the range from $203,540 to $518,856 a year, and those employed by institutions with 500 or more hospital beds are typically paid between $100,671 and $561,211 annually according to Payscale’s salary data.