surgical specialties

[toco]

my question is one that i have seen asked in a recent post but i was wondering if anybody could be more specific. it is in regards to salary. i know that many say the high end is typically about 120,000 for a surgical pa. my question is WHEN is that achieved? will i be in my last year of practice before i see that money? the association of physician assistants in cardiovascular surgery, or the apacvs, has a salary range for these surgical physician assistants and the high end reads 213,000 with 20 plus years experience. is this legitimate? the site is www.apacvs.org. my main interest is in cardiac surgery. i do not want to sound money hungrey but i am considering the pa profession and will need some prerequisite work to get into pa school. however, before applying i would like to get a real grasp on what my expected earnings should be. thanks for any help.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[TexasRose]

I checked out the website and I think you are better off looking at the average income, rather than the max. That would place you at about $80k the first few years, building up to about $120k+ as you gain experience. The upper limit depends on your abilities, location, and the MD's you're working for.

 

[gigi23]

Sorry to put a damper on the salary, but starting pay depends on your region. Where I'm from fresh out of school I can only count on somewhere between 50 or 60,000 surgical or not. I could only dream of 80,000 to start. I know some PA's in my area that have been practicing 5 years and only making $53,000.
I wouldn't choose PA for salary. You should do a little research in your area. One good way to assess your salary is to do a search for jobs in your area and see what they are offering. Some places in my area will post a salary range with the job posting. I've found that some of the surveys tend to be on the high end.
gg

 

[deleted6669]

in urban areas 80 k is the norm as a starting salary for ct surgery but that includes frequent call and a 60 hr workweek. ortho surgery pay is about the same with a more reasonable lifestyle. if you are serious about surgery you should do a postgrad residency like the 1 at norwalk or duke. good luck-e

 

[dim sum]

$100G - $200G salary....... that's good stuff. As for me (2nd year D.O. student), according to AACOM projection, my graduating class would average $ 86000 (all specialties included) upon completion of residency. Hope my sister (a PA) could find that high salary job too!!

 

[rdennisjr]

I'm starting job hunting in the next few months in the midwest as I plan on graduating in September. With the research I've done, my plans are to anticpate 50-60 k, hopefully in an ER, Ortho, or Derm place. Know, it's possible to make more than that - and I'll try to negotiate just that, but anything about 50-60k is going to be bonus as far as I'm concerned.

Also, don't forget that most of those salary comparison places address base salary normally. Production bonuses, profit sharing, etc can drive your total income higher, and are much harder to anticipate accuratly.

Dennis