Spine Surgeon Compensation UP

Laura Miller, writing in Becker’s Spine Review, reports that spine surgeons experienced a 6% growth in average compensation between 2009 and 2010. The average spine surgeon made $760, 782 in 2010, according to MGMA’s Physician Compensation and Production Survey. Spine surgeons working in the Midwest made the most money, taking home $777, 988. The Midwest is the highest compensating region of the country for spine surgeons.

Miller also reported that spine surgeons working for hospitals made more (an average of $714, 088) than those in private practice ($653, 392). Spine surgeons just starting out are earning $452, 000 in hospital contracts which is less than what is earned by hip and joint surgeons who receive around $597, 000. In addition Miller notes that orthopedic surgeons receive sign-on bonuses that vary from $40, 000 to $60, 000.

If one is a spine surgeon in private practice, it pays to practice in multispecialty groups. They compensate higher, paying $102, 577 more than is paid to spine surgeons in single specialty groups. Both groups of spine surgeons earned significantly more in 2010 than in 2009.Those in single specialty groups received $627, 000 in 2010, which is an increase of $22, 000 over the previous year. However, spine surgeons in multispecialty groups did better, receiving on-average $729, 000 in 2010, which is about $107, 000 more than they received in 2009.