What is a cardiac surgeon and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a cardiac surgeon. For example, did you know that they make an average of $183.61 an hour? That's $381,912 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 55,400 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreCardiac SurgeonUS Average
Salary
10.0

Avg. Salary $381,912

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate 7%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.14%

Asian 12.67%

Black or African American 1.81%

Hispanic or Latino 5.01%

Unknown 3.76%

White 76.60%

Gender

female 35.29%

male 64.71%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress Level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
3.4

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a cardiac surgeon

  1. Explore cardiac surgeon education requirements

    Most common cardiac surgeon degrees

    Doctorate

    30.0 %

    Certificate

    30.0 %

    Bachelor's

    20.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific cardiac surgeon skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Cardiovascular Surgery76.73%
    Heart Procedures23.27%
  3. Research cardiac surgeon duties and responsibilities

    • Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
    • Handle confidential and sensitive information with accuracy and according to HIPAA policies.
  4. Apply for cardiac surgeon jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a cardiac surgeon job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Cardiac Surgeon Job

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Average cardiac surgeon salary

The average Cardiac Surgeon salary in the United States is $381,912 per year or $184 per hour. Cardiac surgeon salaries range between $196,000 and $743,000 per year.

Average Cardiac Surgeon Salary
$381,912 Yearly
$183.61 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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