U.S. Thoracic Surgery Physician Salary 2026: $790K Median
The median thoracic surgery physician salary in the United States is $790,000 per year, based on 20 approved salary reports on SalaryDr through . The middle 50% of reports fall between $720,000 and $845,000; the 10th to 90th percentile range is $620,000 to $1,000,000.
- Median
- $790,000
- Middle 50% (25th–75th)
- $720K–$845K
- Approved reports
- 20
- As of
Source: SalaryDr salary reports — anonymous, self-reported and approved before publication. Total compensation includes base salary, bonuses and incentives. Outlier reports beyond 1.5×IQR are excluded from the median, average and percentiles. Figures from 24 or fewer reports are rounded to protect privacy. Methodology
Thoracic Surgery Bonus & Incentive Pay (2026)
Based on 20 approved salary reports. 90% of them include bonus or incentive compensation.
Bonus Compensation Overview
- Average Bonus
- $106,000
- Median Bonus
- $86,000
- Bonus Range (IQR)
- $50,000 - $140,000
- Bonus as % of Total Comp
- 13%
- Physicians with Bonus
- 18 of 20 (90%)
New Graduate Offer Package
Not enough early-career reports (0–3 years of experience) yet to show a separate figure.
Thoracic Surgery Salaries by State
Browse All Specialties →Explore thoracic surgery salary data across different states. Click on any state to view detailed compensation information for that location.
View all Thoracic Surgery salary reports by location →
Thoracic Surgery Physician Salary FAQ
Answers are computed from the 20 approved salary reports on this page.
How much does a thoracic surgery physician make in 2026?
The median thoracic surgery physician salary in the United States is $790,000 per year, based on 20 approved salary reports on SalaryDr through May 22, 2025. The average is $785,000. At the average reported workweek of 62 hours, the median works out to about $245 per hour.
What is the salary range for a thoracic surgery physician?
The middle 50% of reported thoracic surgery physician salaries fall between $720,000 (25th percentile) and $845,000 (75th percentile). The 10th to 90th percentile range is $620,000 to $1,000,000. Based on 20 reports.
Which states pay thoracic surgery physicians the most?
Among states with at least 3 approved reports, the highest median thoracic surgery physician pay on SalaryDr is in Massachusetts ($835,000 median, 6 reports), Illinois ($750,000 median, 3 reports), and California ($660,000 median, 4 reports). State medians built from a handful of reports can move as new reports arrive.
Do private practice thoracic surgery physicians earn more than hospital-employed thoracic surgery physicians?
In SalaryDr's reports, yes: private practice thoracic surgery physicians ($870,000 across 6 reports) report a higher average total compensation than hospital-employed thoracic surgery physicians ($790,000 across 9 reports).
How many hours does a thoracic surgery physician work per week?
Thoracic surgery physicians who reported their schedule average 62 hours per week (20 reports).
How does experience affect thoracic surgery physician pay?
Average total compensation by years of experience in SalaryDr's thoracic surgery physician reports: 6–10 years, $820,000 (5 reports); 11–15 years, $940,000 (6 reports).
How much bonus pay do thoracic surgery physicians receive?
90% of approved thoracic surgery physician reports include bonus or incentive pay. Among those 18 reports, the median bonus is $86,000 and the average is $106,000.
How satisfied are thoracic surgery physicians with their jobs?
Thoracic surgery physicians who rated their job gave it an average of 4.1 out of 5 (20 reports). 95% of the 20 reports that answered say they would choose the specialty again.
Where does this thoracic surgery physician salary data come from?
These figures come from 20 reports that thoracic surgery physicians submitted anonymously to SalaryDr and that were approved before publication; the most recent is from May 22, 2025. Reports are self-reported: approval means a report passed SalaryDr's review checks, not that the submitter's pay was independently verified. Outlier reports beyond 1.5×IQR are excluded from the median, average and percentiles.
Reports are anonymous and self-reported. How SalaryDr calculates these figures.