Orthopedics remains one of the highest-paid physician specialties, but how does it compare to CEOs in the field?
1. Medscape reported the average compensation for orthopedic surgeons was $557,000 in 2022, up from $511,000 in 2021. The specialty also saw the highest average incentive bonus, $126,000. In 2021, that figure was $116,000.
2. By state, orthopedic surgeons in Massachusetts have the highest average salary, at $442,773, according to ZipRceruiter. The state also has the largest gap between orthopedic surgeon salary and the cost of living.
3. The average pay for physician practice CEOs is $449,214, according to salary.com. On the higher end, a practice CEO may make as much at $683,358 while a CEO on the lower end makes around $286,000.
4. For hospital CEOs, the average compensation hit $15.5 million in 2020, according to the AFL-CIO. The top-paid health system CEO was Samuel Hazen of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, who reported $30.4 million in annual pay. Ronald Rittenmayer of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare earned $16.7 million and Alan Miller of King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services earned $13.2 million.
5. Orthopedic and spine devicemaker CEO salaries dwarf those of orthopedic surgeons. Some of the highest salaries include Orthofix's Jon Serbousek ($5.3 million), Stryker's Kevin Lobo ($13.3 million), Zimmer Biomet's Bryan Hanson ($13 million) and Medtronic's Geoffrey Martha ($16.5 million).