Is Orthopedic Surgery a Good Career in 2026?
Surgically and non-surgically treating musculoskeletal injuries and conditions.
Based on 125 approved physician salary reports + BLS employment projections
SalaryDr Career Intelligence
Based on 125 approved physician salary reports + BLS employment projections
Score Breakdown
Demand score powered by BLS Employment Projections (2024-2034): 4.1% projected growth (as fast as average)
What the scores mean
Median $560K with private practice and ASC-ownership models pushing well past $800K -- the highest ceiling in medicine.
High among surgeons who love the OR; orthopedists consistently rank among the happiest physicians in surveys.
BLS projects 4% growth, amplified by an aging population needing more joints, spines, and fracture care.
Around 85% would choose again -- compensation and surgical satisfaction align strongly.
Call is real (trauma, fractures) but elective practice can be structured around OR days with predictable schedules.
Six-to-seven-year pipeline is long, but $560K+ median makes per-training-year ROI strong despite late start.
Orthopedic surgery has the highest compensation ceiling in medicine -- busy private practice orthopedists performing joint replacements routinely exceed $800K, and high-volume spine surgeons clear $1M+.
The sports medicine vs arthroplasty divergence is financially massive: sports medicine fellowship ($400K-$500K) trades surgical volume for team physician prestige, while joint replacement ($600K-$900K) is pure volume economics.
Orthopedic residency is a five-year gauntlet with 70+ hour weeks that self-selects for physical endurance and mental resilience -- the training pipeline is deliberately brutal.
Orthopedic Surgery Compensation & Earnings
Orthopedic Surgery Compensation
$775,000
$655,000 – $900,000(P25–P75)
Orthopedic Surgery Salary Progression
From medical school to senior attending — based on 125 approved salary reports
33 submissions
2 submissions
45 submissions
63 submissions
17 submissions
+16% salary growth from early career ($690,000) to mid-career ($800,000)
Best States for Orthopedic Surgery Physicians (After Tax)
Orthopedists in retirement-destination states (Florida, Arizona) earn premium compensation driven by aging populations needing joint replacements.
| State | Median Salary | After-Tax Income | Demand Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $1,300,000(2) | $1,300,000 | Limited(50 jobs) |
| Ohio | $1,328,000(2) | $1,284,176 | Moderate(550 jobs) |
| New York | $1,100,000(7) | $1,017,500 | High(1,450 jobs) |
| Alaska | $980,000(2) | $980,000 | Very High(14,160 jobs) |
| Alabama | $1,002,110(2) | $955,011 | Low(240 jobs) |
Estimate Your Take-Home
Based on median Orthopedic Surgery salary of $775K/yr
Select a state to see your estimated take-home pay
Take-Home Pay by State
How much a Orthopedic Surgery physician actually keeps after federal, state, and FICA taxes
Highest Take-Home States
Lowest Take-Home States
Tax impact: A Orthopedic Surgery physician keeps $374,221 more per year in Alaska vs. Massachusetts — a 48.3% difference on gross income of $775,000.
Assumes single filer, standard deduction, W-2 employment. State rates from Tax Foundation 2025. Gross salaries from BLS OEWS May 2024. FICA includes Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600) and Medicare (1.45% + 0.9% above $200K). Actual take-home varies with deductions, filing status, and local taxes.
How does your compensation compare?
Benchmark yourself against 125 approved orthopedic surgery salary reports — add yours in 2 minutes and see your percentile instantly.
Career Lifestyle
Career Reality: By the Numbers
Real data from 125 Orthopedic Surgery physician reports — not job board estimates.
What Physicians Actually Say
Themes across 23 written answers from Orthopedic Surgery physicians.
About the Career (10 answers)
Administrative Burden
30%3 answers mention this
Impact & Purpose
20%2 answers mention this
Compensation
20%2 answers mention this
Procedural Work
10%1 answer mention this
Patient Relationships
10%1 answer mention this
About the Lifestyle (13 answers)
Call Impact
69%9 answers mention this
Predictable Schedule
15%2 answers mention this
Good Work-Life Balance
8%1 answer mention this
Family Time
8%1 answer mention this
Job Market & Future Outlook
Job Market Outlook
BLS Employment Projections (2024-2034) for Orthopedic Surgery
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034. Includes wage/salary and self-employed physicians.
AI & Automation Impact
Robotic surgery assists orthopedic surgeons — it does not replace them. The surgeon still makes every critical decision.
How Hard Is It to Match Into Orthopedic Surgery?
Orthopedic Surgery is one of the most competitive specialties to match into, with only 73.1% of U.S. MD seniors successfully matching. There were 1.08 applicants per position (993 applicants for 916 spots). Matched applicants had significantly higher Step 2 CK scores (257 vs 246). Students scoring >260 matched at 92%, compared to 52% for those scoring 231-240.
Match Rate by Step 2 CK Score
What Differentiates Matched Applicants
| Metric | Matched | Unmatched |
|---|---|---|
| Step 2 CK | 257 | 246 |
| Research Experiences | 8.1 | 8.0 |
| Publications | 24 | 18 |
| AOA Members | 34% | 16% |
| Programs Ranked | 12 | 6 |
Data from Charting Outcomes in the Match, National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), 2024. U.S. MD seniors. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Orthopedic surgery: medicine's highest financial ceiling comes with a price
Orthopedic surgery offers the most straightforward path to $1M+ annual compensation in medicine. The economics are simple: joint replacements and spine procedures are high-reimbursement, high-volume operations with growing demand from an aging population. An orthopedist performing 400+ joint replacements per year in a private practice or ASC-ownership model generates revenue that few other specialties can match.
The training cost is not metaphorical. Five-year orthopedic residencies are physically demanding in a way that other specialties aren't -- holding retractors for hours, reducing fractures with manual force, and standing through 8-hour spine cases. This is compounded by one to two years of fellowship for most graduates, pushing the total post-medical-school training to 6-7 years. The opportunity cost is enormous, but the specialty's compensation curve is steep enough to recoup it by mid-career.
The subspecialty choice within orthopedics has outsized financial impact. Sports medicine offers lower surgical volume but professional team affiliations and media visibility. Hand surgery is technically demanding but geographically constrained. Total joints and spine represent the volume-driven wealth-building engine. Trauma offers guaranteed employment anywhere with a hospital but the worst call schedule in the field.
Training & Getting Started
6 years of post-medical-school training, with subspecialty fellowship options
Subspecialty Fellowships
Physicians Also Consider
Explore Orthopedic Surgery
Take the Next Step in Your Orthopedic Surgery Career
Real, physician-reported compensation data. Know your market value before your next contract negotiation.
Powered by SalaryDr Career Intelligence
Career Score methodology: salarydr.com/methodology
According to SalaryDr Career Intelligence data from 125 approved reports by Orthopedic Surgeons (as of November 2026), the Physician Career Score for Orthopedic Surgery is 82/100. Median total compensation is $775,000, career satisfaction is 4.1/5, and 89% would choose the specialty again. The BLS reports 14,700 practicing Orthopedic Surgeons nationally with 4.1% projected growth (2024-2034).