What is a hand surgeon and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

Hand surgeons are orthopedic, plastic, or general surgeons who specialize in hand surgery. Before you can be certified as a hand surgeon, you must undergo a year of extra training and pass the certification exam. Hand surgery is an aspect of surgery that focuses on problems of the hand, wrist, and forearm. Although they are called surgeons, they can always recommend non-surgical treatment options to remedy hand problems. The hand surgeon is responsible for finding and treating hand conditions. These conditions include rheumatic disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, wrist pain, and the likes.

A hand surgeon uses tools like X-ray, MRI, etc. They schedule surgery and monitor the patient's condition after the surgery. The average gross salary of a hand surgeon is $378,848 or $182 per hour. Their bonus on the job can sum up to $35,536.

ScoreHand SurgeonUS Average
Salary
10.0

Avg. Salary $327,249

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 79.07%

male 20.93%

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 hand surgeon

  1. Explore hand surgeon education requirements

    Most common hand surgeon degrees

    Bachelor's

    35.4 %

    Associate

    27.1 %

    High School Diploma

    16.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific hand surgeon skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Patients66.99%
    EMR18.10%
    MRI8.45%
    Memorial Hospital2.60%
    Patient Appointments1.41%
  3. Research hand surgeon duties and responsibilities

    • Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
    • Schedule patients for surgery and diagnostic testing; eligibility benefits and insurance verification duties.
    • Assist Dr Fatuma Osman in dental procedures and consults.
    • Inform patients on various reactions to prescribe medications along with other medical information.
  4. Apply for hand surgeon jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a hand 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 Hand Surgeon Job

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Average hand surgeon salary

The average Hand Surgeon salary in the United States is $327,249 per year or $157 per hour. Hand surgeon salaries range between $171,000 and $625,000 per year.

Average Hand Surgeon Salary
$327,249 Yearly
$157.33 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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