Have you experienced a decrease in your salary? If you are an orthopedic surgeon, you are not alone. LocumTenens.com’s 2020 Orthopedic Surgery Salary Survey revealed that the average orthopedic surgeon’s salary decreased significantly in 2019 from 2018.
Survey Reveals That Ortho Surgeon Salaries Have Dropped
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Founded in 1995, LocumTenens.com specializes in the temporary placement of healthcare professionals across the United States. In addition to its job board, LocumTenens.com provides salary surveys and research reports, including its Annual Compensation and Employment Survey. Results from the survey are analyzed and used in annual reports.
In September 2020, LocumTenens.com sent out invitations for its annual survey to more than 220,000 healthcare professionals. Recipients were a mix of LocumTenens.com placements and non-LocumTenens.com placements and represented all 50 states.
In total, 2,080 physicians and advanced practitioners responded. LocumTenens.com then used the data gathered from the survey to generate the information in its 2020 Orthopedic Surgery Salary Survey.
Its 2020 Orthopedic Surgery Salary Survey reports that the average salary for orthopedic surgeons in 2019 was $428,813, a 20% decrease from the 2018 average of $539,464. Past reports indicated that orthopedic surgeon salaries have been increasing over the years. In 2017, the average orthopedic surgeon salary was $503,260 and in 2016 the average orthopedic surgeon salary was $489,000. Both figures noticeably more than the 2019 number.
The 2020 Orthopedic Surgery Salary Survey provided additional insight into the orthopedic surgery profession beyond salary. More than half (53%) of orthopedic surgeons who responded were born between 1946 and 1964. The next largest group of respondents (29%) were those born between 1965 and 1980.
The survey looked at employment as well. Of the orthopedic surgeons who responded, 36% were hospital employed (a 15% decrease), 13% worked for the government (a 5% increase), and 30% worked in a group practice (a 13% increase).
OTW will continue to follow the Orthopedic Surgery Salary Survey results. In the coming years, the annual survey may provide additional insight into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the orthopedic surgeon community.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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