Cardiothoracic Surgery Salary Data

The median physician salary is $1,125,000 in 2026 in Cardiothoracic Surgery, based on 27 approved salary reports on SalaryDr. The average physician salary is $1,057,000, with compensation varying significantly based on specialty, location, experience, and practice setting.

• Median total compensation: $1,125,000
• Average total compensation: $1,057,000
• Based on 27 approved salary reports
• New reports are added as they are approved

The median base salary for physicians in Cardiothoracic Surgery is $900,000, with median bonuses and incentives adding $225,000. Total compensation ($1,125,000 median) includes base salary, productivity bonuses, signing bonuses, call pay, and other incentives.

• Median base salary: $900,000
• Median bonuses/incentives: $225,000
• Median total compensation: $1,125,000
• Bonus structures vary by employer and productivity metrics

Physicians in Cardiothoracic Surgery work an average of 72 hours per week, based on 27 approved salary reports. This includes clinical hours, administrative duties, charting, and call responsibilities. Work hours vary significantly by specialty and practice setting.

• Average weekly hours: 72
• Hours vary significantly by specialty and setting
• Includes clinical, administrative, and on-call time
• Part-time and locums arrangements offer flexibility

Physicians in Cardiothoracic Surgery report 82% satisfaction with their careers, and 96% would choose their specialty again. Satisfaction varies by practice setting, work-life balance, and compensation relative to workload.

• Career satisfaction: 82%
• Would choose specialty again: 96%
• Satisfaction influenced by autonomy and work-life balance

It depends on the specialty and the market. Practice owners and partners share in the practice's profit and carry its overhead and business risk; employed physicians trade some of that upside for predictable pay, benefits, and less administrative work. Compare the practice-setting figures for your own specialty before assuming either way.

• The difference varies by specialty and market
• Owners and partners carry overhead and business risk
• Employed roles offer predictable pay and benefits
• Compare practice settings within your specialty

First-year pay depends mostly on specialty and location, so one range for all physicians says little. Each specialty's page shows pay by years of experience from approved reports, and the signing bonus page shows what physicians report receiving. First offers often add relocation help and loan repayment.

• Specialty and location matter most
• Compare early-career figures for your specialty
• Signing bonus, relocation and loan repayment are negotiable

1099 and locums physicians usually earn more gross pay, but they pay both halves of Social Security and Medicare tax, buy their own health, disability, and malpractice coverage (including tail), and get no paid time off or retirement match. W-2 employees receive less gross pay, but the employer pays half of payroll taxes and provides benefits. The net advantage depends on the rate, the benefits you would replace, and the hours you work.

• 1099: higher gross pay, but you pay both halves of payroll tax
• 1099: you buy your own health, disability, and malpractice coverage
• W-2: the employer pays half of payroll tax and provides benefits
• Count the retirement match and paid time off as W-2 pay

Work RVU (wRVU) conversion rates vary by specialty, so one range for all physicians misleads. SalaryDr publishes the rates physicians report for each specialty on its wRVU rate pages. When you compare an offer, look at total compensation per wRVU, not the bonus rate alone, and ask for the position's historical wRVU volume.

• Rates vary by specialty
• Compare total compensation per wRVU, not the bonus rate alone
• Ask for the position’s historical wRVU volume
• Check where the productivity threshold is set

Take-home pay on $1,125,000 depends on filing status, state income tax (none in some states, over 13% at the top of California's scale), retirement contributions, and other deductions, so two physicians on the same salary can take home very different amounts. The take-home calculator estimates it for each state.

• Gross salary: $1,125,000
• State income tax runs from none to over 13%
• Pre-tax retirement contributions lower taxable income
• Estimate yours by state with the calculator

SalaryDr salary data comes from 27 anonymous, self-reported salary reports from physicians across the United States. Each report is moderated before it is published; reports are not NPI-verified. Each includes total compensation, base salary, bonuses, specialty, location, practice setting, and years of experience. New reports are added as they are approved, and outliers are handled statistically.

• 27 approved salary reports
• Anonymous data from practicing professionals
• Includes base, bonuses, location, and setting
• Moderated before publication, with statistical outlier handling

Yes. Employers expect a counteroffer, and hospitals negotiate every contract with trained staff. Benchmark the offer against approved salary reports for your specialty, location, and practice setting, and negotiate the whole package (base salary, productivity terms, signing bonus, call pay, and exit terms), not the base salary alone.

• Employers expect a counteroffer
• Anchor your counteroffer in benchmark data
• Hospitals negotiate every contract with trained staff
• Compare the complete compensation package

Start by comparing your offer to real compensation data on SalaryDr — the median physician salary is $1,125,000 based on 27 approved salary reports, but this varies dramatically by specialty, location, and practice setting. Key metrics to benchmark include base salary, RVU rates, signing bonus, call pay, and benefits. The free offer analyzer can help you compare your compensation with available salary reports.

• Compare against 27 real salary data points
• Benchmark base, bonuses, RVUs, and benefits separately
• Location and practice setting create huge variation
• Use the free offer analyzer to compare compensation

Nearly every component of a physician employment contract is negotiable, not just base salary. Key negotiable terms include base salary guarantees, RVU rates and thresholds, signing bonuses, relocation packages, CME allowances, call pay and frequency, partnership track and timeline, tail coverage for malpractice, loan repayment assistance, non-compete clauses (radius and duration), PTO and sabbatical, and early termination terms. Many physicians focus only on base salary, but the other terms decide much of what the contract is worth.

• Base salary, RVU rates, and productivity bonuses
• Signing bonus, relocation, and loan repayment
• Call schedule, frequency, and compensation
• Non-compete scope, tail coverage, and exit terms
• Negotiate the whole package, not the base alone

The median physician salary is $1,125,000 in 2026 in Cardiothoracic Surgery, based on 27 approved salary reports on SalaryDr. The average physician salary is $1,057,000, with compensation varying significantly based on specialty, location, experience, and practice setting.

• Median total compensation: $1,125,000
• Average total compensation: $1,057,000
• Based on 27 approved salary reports
• New reports are added as they are approved

The median base salary for physicians in Cardiothoracic Surgery is $900,000, with median bonuses and incentives adding $225,000. Total compensation ($1,125,000 median) includes base salary, productivity bonuses, signing bonuses, call pay, and other incentives.

• Median base salary: $900,000
• Median bonuses/incentives: $225,000
• Median total compensation: $1,125,000
• Bonus structures vary by employer and productivity metrics

Physicians in Cardiothoracic Surgery work an average of 72 hours per week, based on 27 approved salary reports. This includes clinical hours, administrative duties, charting, and call responsibilities. Work hours vary significantly by specialty and practice setting.

• Average weekly hours: 72
• Hours vary significantly by specialty and setting
• Includes clinical, administrative, and on-call time
• Part-time and locums arrangements offer flexibility

Physicians in Cardiothoracic Surgery report 82% satisfaction with their careers, and 96% would choose their specialty again. Satisfaction varies by practice setting, work-life balance, and compensation relative to workload.

• Career satisfaction: 82%
• Would choose specialty again: 96%
• Satisfaction influenced by autonomy and work-life balance

It depends on the specialty and the market. Practice owners and partners share in the practice's profit and carry its overhead and business risk; employed physicians trade some of that upside for predictable pay, benefits, and less administrative work. Compare the practice-setting figures for your own specialty before assuming either way.

• The difference varies by specialty and market
• Owners and partners carry overhead and business risk
• Employed roles offer predictable pay and benefits
• Compare practice settings within your specialty

First-year pay depends mostly on specialty and location, so one range for all physicians says little. Each specialty's page shows pay by years of experience from approved reports, and the signing bonus page shows what physicians report receiving. First offers often add relocation help and loan repayment.

• Specialty and location matter most
• Compare early-career figures for your specialty
• Signing bonus, relocation and loan repayment are negotiable

1099 and locums physicians usually earn more gross pay, but they pay both halves of Social Security and Medicare tax, buy their own health, disability, and malpractice coverage (including tail), and get no paid time off or retirement match. W-2 employees receive less gross pay, but the employer pays half of payroll taxes and provides benefits. The net advantage depends on the rate, the benefits you would replace, and the hours you work.

• 1099: higher gross pay, but you pay both halves of payroll tax
• 1099: you buy your own health, disability, and malpractice coverage
• W-2: the employer pays half of payroll tax and provides benefits
• Count the retirement match and paid time off as W-2 pay

Work RVU (wRVU) conversion rates vary by specialty, so one range for all physicians misleads. SalaryDr publishes the rates physicians report for each specialty on its wRVU rate pages. When you compare an offer, look at total compensation per wRVU, not the bonus rate alone, and ask for the position's historical wRVU volume.

• Rates vary by specialty
• Compare total compensation per wRVU, not the bonus rate alone
• Ask for the position’s historical wRVU volume
• Check where the productivity threshold is set

Take-home pay on $1,125,000 depends on filing status, state income tax (none in some states, over 13% at the top of California's scale), retirement contributions, and other deductions, so two physicians on the same salary can take home very different amounts. The take-home calculator estimates it for each state.

• Gross salary: $1,125,000
• State income tax runs from none to over 13%
• Pre-tax retirement contributions lower taxable income
• Estimate yours by state with the calculator

SalaryDr salary data comes from 27 anonymous, self-reported salary reports from physicians across the United States. Each report is moderated before it is published; reports are not NPI-verified. Each includes total compensation, base salary, bonuses, specialty, location, practice setting, and years of experience. New reports are added as they are approved, and outliers are handled statistically.

• 27 approved salary reports
• Anonymous data from practicing professionals
• Includes base, bonuses, location, and setting
• Moderated before publication, with statistical outlier handling

Yes. Employers expect a counteroffer, and hospitals negotiate every contract with trained staff. Benchmark the offer against approved salary reports for your specialty, location, and practice setting, and negotiate the whole package (base salary, productivity terms, signing bonus, call pay, and exit terms), not the base salary alone.

• Employers expect a counteroffer
• Anchor your counteroffer in benchmark data
• Hospitals negotiate every contract with trained staff
• Compare the complete compensation package

Start by comparing your offer to real compensation data on SalaryDr — the median physician salary is $1,125,000 based on 27 approved salary reports, but this varies dramatically by specialty, location, and practice setting. Key metrics to benchmark include base salary, RVU rates, signing bonus, call pay, and benefits. The free offer analyzer can help you compare your compensation with available salary reports.

• Compare against 27 real salary data points
• Benchmark base, bonuses, RVUs, and benefits separately
• Location and practice setting create huge variation
• Use the free offer analyzer to compare compensation

Nearly every component of a physician employment contract is negotiable, not just base salary. Key negotiable terms include base salary guarantees, RVU rates and thresholds, signing bonuses, relocation packages, CME allowances, call pay and frequency, partnership track and timeline, tail coverage for malpractice, loan repayment assistance, non-compete clauses (radius and duration), PTO and sabbatical, and early termination terms. Many physicians focus only on base salary, but the other terms decide much of what the contract is worth.

• Base salary, RVU rates, and productivity bonuses
• Signing bonus, relocation, and loan repayment
• Call schedule, frequency, and compensation
• Non-compete scope, tail coverage, and exit terms
• Negotiate the whole package, not the base alone