There are 22,965 orthopedic surgeons practicing in the U.S., with that number projected to grow to about 24,350 by 2025, according to data firm Definitive Healthcare.
Though the number of orthopedists is rising, so too is the number of patients expecting to need their services — estimated to be 29,400 in three years, representing a deficit of 5,050.
Here are 30 insights on orthopedic surgeon compensation, incentive bonuses, practice setting and other topics, drawn from recent reports and surveys:
1. From 2016-21, the number of orthopedic surgeons jumped 6 percent, from 21,617 to 22,965.
2. California has the most active orthopedic surgeons in the U.S. at 2,406.
3. Fifty-eight percent of orthopedic surgeons are 55 or older.
4. Physician pay varies widely by region, with those in the Midwest and the South earning the most, according to Physicians Thrive's "2022 Physician Compensation Report:"
Eastern region: $400,000
Midwest region: $558,000
Southern region: $497,000
Western region: $539,000
5. Orthopedic surgeons are no longer the highest-paid medical specialty in the U.S., with plastic surgeons taking home a larger salary each year on average, according to Medscape's "Physician Compensation Report 2021."
6. The average annual pay for orthopedic surgeons in 2021 was $511,000, the same as 2020.
7. The top five cities with the highest pay for midcareer (eight to 10 years of experience) orthopedic surgeons, according to the Medscape physician salary calculator physician salary calculator.
Mobile, Ala.: $486,356
Louisville, Ky.: $486,337
Indianapolis: $483,208
Rochester, Minn.: $479,827
Birmingham, Ala.: $478,739
8. For orthopedic surgeons with 15 to 20 years of experience, the highest paying cities were:
Hartford, Conn.: $519,374
Oklahoma City: $514,847
St. Louis: $508,525
West Palm Beach, Fla.: $507,181
Salt Lake City: $506,687
9. The average revenue generated by orthopedic surgeons is $2.7 million, according to a 2019 report from Merritt Hawkins.
10. On average, for hospitals, orthopedic surgeons generate $3.29 million a year in revenue, the fourth-highest of any specialty, Merritt Hawkins found.
11. On average, orthopedic surgeons earn the highest incentive bonuses, taking home $116,000 each year on average.
12. Sixteen percent of orthopedic surgeons earn less than 1 percent of their annual incentive bonus, according to Medscape.
13. Average guaranteed income/base salary offered to orthopedic surgeons over the past six years:
2020-21: $546,000
2019-20: $626,000
2018-19: $536,000
2017-18: $533,000
2016-17: $579,000
2015-16: $521,000
14. Seven percent of orthopedic surgeons reported having a net worth of at least $5 million in 2021, down from 19 percent in 2020.
15. Forty-seven percent of "young orthopedic surgeons," defined by Medscape as physicians younger than 40, are satisfied with their compensation, according to the "Young Physician Compensation Report 2021."
16. Eighty percent of young orthopedic physicians would choose to pursue medicine again and 92 percent would choose the orthopedic specialty again.
17. Eighty-two percent of physicians younger than 40 are employed by a hospital or health system, and 14 percent are self-employed.
18. In terms of orthopedic ASCs, California (523), Texas (344) and Florida (318) have the most, according to a 2022 Becker's ASC Review ranking. Vermont is the only state with no orthopedic ASCs.
19. Net revenue and case mix of orthopedic cases in ASCs, according to VMG Health's "Multi-Specialty ASC Benchmarking Study" for 2022.
Average revenue: $3,791
25th percentile: $2,890
90th percentile: $5,316
Average case mix: 21 percent
25th percentile: 8 percent
90th percentile: 50 percent
20. Eighty-one percent of orthopedic surgeons reported being named in a malpractice suit, just behind plastic surgeons and general surgeons, who were tied at 83 percent, according to Medscape's "Malpractice Reports 2021."
21. Failure to diagnose/delayed diagnosis (31 percent), complications from treatment (29 percent) and poor outcome (26 percent) are among the leading reasons physicians face malpractice lawsuits.
22. Surgeons are more likely to be sued because there is not typically a long-term, ongoing relationship between the physician and patient. "The fact that these physicians take on — across the board — high-risk procedures, it places surgeons at higher risk of litigation compared with other specialties," attorney J. Richard Moore told Medscape.
23. Only 9 percent of orthopedic surgeons are women, according to Medscape's "Female Physician Compensation Report." Other specialties with low female representation include urology (11 percent), cardiology (14 percent) and general surgery (20 percent).
24. Female orthopedic surgeons earn on average $122,677 per year less than their male counterparts, according to Doximity's "2020 Physician Compensation Report."
25. If given the opportunity to choose medicine again, most female orthopedic physicians surveyed (74 percent) said they would make the same decision.
26. Thirty-seven percent of orthopedic surgeons said they were burnt out in Medscape's "Physician Burnout Report 2022," up from 33 percent the previous year.
27. The top three burnout contributors are bureaucratic tasks (65 percent), increasing computerization of medical practice (44 percent) and insufficient compensation/reimbursement (34 percent).
28. Orthopedic surgeons report spending 13.9 hours per week on administrative work, the seventh lowest of any specialty.
29. Orthopedic surgeons report having about 18 percent of their claims denied.
30. Twenty-one percent of orthopedic surgeons are still paying medical school debt.