Average Plastic Surgeon Salary in the US

Author: Mateen Arrain
According to the data from a 2022 online survey report by Medscape, the average salary of a plastic surgeon in the United States is $576,000 – which is the highest amount out of all of the 29 different physician specialties that were surveyed.
Wage growth
Whilst the average income for physicians overall varied very little from 2019 to 2020, the average plastic surgeon salary grew by $47,000 from $479,000 to $526,000 (a 9.8% increase). This wage growth may be due to the high demand and shortages of surgeons; according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States will experience a shortage of between 15,800 and 30,200 surgeons by 2034. [1]
What affects the base salary of a plastic surgeon?
The salary of plastic surgeons will be affected by the state, location, and level of experience of the doctor.
Best-paying states for plastic surgeons
According to the same survey report, the best paying states for plastic surgeons or any time of physician, in general, include (in order from highest to lowest):
- Kentucky
- Tennessee
- Alabama
- Missouri
- Oregon
References
[1]: AAMC Report Reinforces Mounting Physician Shortage (2021) https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/press-releases/aamc-report-reinforces-mounting-physician-shortage