I don't have the energy or time to give this response what I think it deserves, as I believe you've asked an extremely important question.
However, I do want to chime in. I am in an academic specialty practice, and I work very long hours...but keep in mind that how many hours you work and how busy you are can sometimes be discordant.
In general, you can work more or less than you did as a resident depending on your practice and on your goals. If you work more, you'll likely make more money and build a stronger practice than if you work less and say "no," etc....that is assuming you don't burn out, which is a major concern. Of note, general surgeons and subspecialties of general surgery can make plenty of money, and $500K is by no means the ceiling or a major outlier as you progress.
What's different about being a practicing surgeon is that you have much more control over your schedule....you may PLACE YOURSELF in a practice environment where you don't feel you have control, but you have the opportunity to change that environment, etc. You can become a community EGS/trauma surgeon and have multiple weeks off/year as described above, or join a hospital practice in an environment where the other docs do lots of your busy-work, and all you do is see patients, operate, and go home...and you'll find yourself working less and still making plenty of money.
In academics, I was shocked by the number of competing interests....I have to be a clinician, researcher, teacher, administrator, committee member, editor, mentor to junior faculty, mentor to residents/students...father, husband, son....I have to work harder to take care of my own health than I did in my 20's.....when you feel like a slave to too many masters, the biggest concern is that you'll start under-performing in multiple areas due to lack of time/dedication. Because most of us are workaholics, we allow certain things that are actually the MOST important...time with family, sleep, exercise, hobbies....to be sacrificed first. Meanwhile, things that are actually less important...committees, national meetings, manuscripts, editorial boards, medical directorships....survive longer.
I know I'm not alone because I see it in the backstories of tenured professors. However, things are much different now than they were back then. For instance, there's a much bigger push toward RVUs and productivity than there used to be...more clinics, more cases, more techniques to master, etc. Also, without sounding misogynistic, doctor's wives in the 1970s were willing to put up with more of our crap than they are now...I can' speak to doctor's husbands but I would assume it's similar.
Looking back, when I was a resident, all I had to do was study and work. It was much simpler. Still, it's important to know that a lot of my burden was self-inflicted...especially the professional choices. Again, I have more control over things than I want to believe.
That was long-winded, but I wanted to make sure the OP understood that there's not a straight answer, and I also wanted to warn newer faculty to keep their priorities straight. I'm lucky that my wife and kids still want me around, as I believe my behavior in the first 5-6 years of practice was very selfish and difficult to tolerate. I think I do a better job now than I did, but it's still a daily struggle to balance everything.
