Heart Surgeon Salary Calculator

The sections below walk through every dimension the Heart Surgeon salary calculator accounts for, from national pay ranges and entry-level baselines to location-specific adjustments and the factors that push compensation higher or lower.

1. What Are the Salary Ranges for a Heart Surgeon?
2. What Is the Entry Level Salary for a Heart Surgeon?
3. How Much Does a Heart Surgeon Earn at Entry Level vs Senior Level?
4. Where Are the Best Job Markets for Heart Surgeons?
5. Which Employers Hire Heart Surgeons and What Do They Pay?
6. What Job Responsibilities Influence a Heart Surgeon's Salary?
7. What Factors Push a Heart Surgeon's Salary Higher?
8. What Factors Lower a Heart Surgeon's Salary?
9. What Benefits Do Heart Surgeons Typically Receive?
10. What Skills Affect a Heart Surgeon's Salary?
11. How Does Heart Surgeon Salary Vary by Different States and Cities?

The Heart Surgeon salary calculator uses a national median hourly rate of $288.50 as its starting point. Under a standard full-time assumption of 40 hours per week across 52 weeks, this translates to an approximate annual figure of $600,080. However, actual reported compensation for cardiac surgeons in the United States ranges widely based on experience, credentials, surgical volume, and practice setting.

These ranges reflect adjustments the calculator makes for years of experience, education level, and job market size. A heart surgeon in a small rural hospital will land closer to the low end, while one leading a high-volume cardiac program at a major academic medical center in a large metro will trend toward the high end. Users can further customize results by adjusting hours per week and toggling between full-time and part-time to see how weekly, monthly, and annual figures scale accordingly.

In the context of this salary calculator, "entry level" for a heart surgeon refers to a physician who has recently completed cardiothoracic surgery fellowship training and is entering independent practice with limited years of attending-level experience and potentially fewer advanced credentials such as board certification in advanced heart failure or transplant surgery. The calculator defines this stage through its years-of-experience and education-level inputs set to their lowest applicable values.

At the entry level, the calculator estimates an hourly range of approximately $220.00 to $260.00, which under a 40-hour full-time week produces an annual range of roughly $457,600 to $540,800. This figure is consistent with what newly hired cardiac surgeons earn at community hospitals and smaller health systems where surgical case volume is still being built. The calculator also adjusts these figures downward for small metro or rural job markets and upward for large metropolitan areas with high demand and cost of living.

Entry-level heart surgeons who select the after-tax estimation feature will notice meaningful differences based on state income tax. A new cardiac surgeon in Texas, which has no state income tax, retains more net pay than one in California at an identical gross salary. The calculator captures this through its state tax, filing status, 401(k), and W-2 vs 1099 inputs.

The gap between early-career and senior-level compensation for heart surgeons is among the widest in medicine. The salary calculator models this through its years-of-experience slider and education-level selector, which together shift the hourly rate substantially.

Senior heart surgeons who serve as division chiefs, hold endowed chairs at academic medical centers, or have developed nationally recognized programs in minimally invasive cardiac surgery or robotic-assisted procedures command the highest end of these ranges. The calculator reflects this progression by applying compounding experience and education multipliers to the $288.50 base hourly rate. Market size also magnifies the spread: a senior cardiac surgeon at Cleveland Clinic or Massachusetts General Hospital practicing in a large metro will see estimates well above a senior surgeon at a smaller regional hospital in a mid-sized market.

The strongest job markets for heart surgeons are large metropolitan areas with multiple hospital systems, academic medical centers, and high patient volumes for cardiovascular disease. The salary calculator applies a positive adjustment factor for large metro markets, reflecting the higher demand, cost of living, and institutional competition for surgical talent in these regions.

Cleveland appears on this list despite being a mid-sized metro because Cleveland Clinic's global reputation in cardiac surgery creates outsized demand and compensation for heart surgeons in that market. The salary calculator captures this through its market-size adjustment, and users can further refine estimates by selecting their specific state to apply accurate tax treatment.

Heart surgeons are employed by academic medical centers, large multi-hospital health systems, specialized cardiac institutes, and private practice groups, each of which structures compensation differently.

The salary calculator's W-2 vs 1099 toggle is particularly relevant here. Heart surgeons employed as W-2 employees at organizations like Mayo Clinic have payroll taxes handled by the employer, while those in private practice partnerships structured as 1099 contractors must cover self-employment tax, which the calculator factors into after-tax estimates.

A heart surgeon's compensation is tightly linked to the complexity and volume of procedures performed. The core responsibility is performing open-heart and cardiothoracic surgical procedures, including coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), valve repair and replacement, aortic aneurysm repair, heart transplantation, and ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation. Surgeons who perform a higher volume of complex cases generate more relative value units (RVUs), which directly drives productivity-based compensation at most health systems.

Beyond the operating room, heart surgeons manage pre-operative risk assessments, collaborate with interventional cardiologists on hybrid procedures, oversee post-operative ICU care, and participate in multidisciplinary heart team conferences. Academic heart surgeons carry additional responsibilities including clinical research, grant writing, resident and fellow training, and peer-reviewed publication. These academic duties typically do not increase hourly surgical compensation but may be compensated through separate academic stipends or protected time arrangements.

The salary calculator accounts for these differences through its experience and education inputs. A heart surgeon who has accumulated years of complex surgical case experience and holds advanced fellowship training beyond standard cardiothoracic certification—such as transplant surgery or congenital cardiac surgery—will see the calculator produce higher estimates than one with a narrower procedural scope.

Several concrete factors cause the salary calculator to produce higher estimates for heart surgeons, and these align closely with real-world compensation drivers in the field.

High surgical volume and case complexity are the most direct influences. Heart surgeons who regularly perform transplants, complex redo sternotomies, and robotic-assisted mitral valve repairs are compensated at premium rates compared to those performing predominantly routine CABG cases. The calculator captures this indirectly through years of experience, since surgeons accumulating these advanced cases tend to have more tenure.

Large metropolitan job markets apply the calculator's highest market-size adjustment factor. Practicing in cities like New York City, Los Angeles, or Boston means competing health systems bid up compensation to attract top surgical talent.

Advanced education and subspecialty credentials such as completion of an advanced heart failure and transplant surgery fellowship or additional training in minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgery move the education-level input higher, increasing the calculator's output.

Practice in states with no state income tax does not change the gross salary estimate but significantly increases the after-tax figures the calculator produces. A heart surgeon in Houston, Texas, or Jacksonville, Florida, retains more net income than one earning the identical gross in New York or California.

1099 independent contractor or partnership arrangements in private cardiac surgery groups often yield higher gross hourly rates than W-2 employment, though the calculator also shows higher self-employment tax burdens on the after-tax side.

The salary calculator also identifies conditions under which heart surgeon compensation falls toward the lower end of the range.

Small or rural job markets apply the calculator's lowest market-size adjustment. Hospitals in these areas typically have lower patient volume for cardiac surgery, fewer complex cases, and less institutional revenue to support premium surgeon compensation. A heart surgeon selecting a small metro in the calculator will see estimates well below the national median.

Limited years of experience is the most obvious downward factor. A surgeon fresh out of fellowship with zero years of independent attending experience will see the calculator's lowest experience-adjusted output.

Lower education-level selections also reduce estimates. While all heart surgeons hold MD or DO degrees, the calculator differentiates between those with standard cardiothoracic training and those with additional fellowship credentials or doctoral-level research training.

Part-time practice or reduced hours directly scales down weekly, monthly, and annual estimates. Some cardiac surgeons approaching retirement transition to part-time schedules, and the calculator reflects this proportionally when users reduce hours per week.

High state income tax jurisdictions reduce after-tax estimates. A heart surgeon in California or New Jersey will see meaningfully lower after-tax annual income than one earning the same gross salary in Florida or Texas, and the calculator makes this visible through its state tax and filing status inputs.

Benefits for heart surgeons vary substantially depending on whether the surgeon is a W-2 employee of a health system or a 1099 independent contractor in a private practice group, and the salary calculator's W-2 vs 1099 toggle is designed to reflect this distinction in after-tax estimates.

W-2 employed heart surgeons at major health systems like Cleveland Clinic, HCA Healthcare, or Mass General Brigham typically receive employer-sponsored health insurance, malpractice insurance coverage (often occurrence-based), employer-matched 401(k) or 403(b) retirement contributions ranging from 3% to 9% of salary, paid CME (continuing medical education) allowances of $5,000 to $15,000 annually, paid time off of 4 to 6 weeks, relocation assistance, and signing bonuses that can range from $25,000 to $100,000 for high-demand positions. Some academic employers also offer loan repayment assistance and sabbatical leave for research.

1099 contractors and private practice partners must fund their own health insurance, retirement accounts (typically SEP-IRA or solo 401(k)), and malpractice insurance (tail coverage can exceed $50,000). The salary calculator factors in the higher self-employment tax burden for 1099 classification, which is approximately 15.3% on earnings up to the Social Security wage base and 2.9% Medicare tax on income above that threshold. This distinction is critical when comparing a $700,000 W-2 salary against a $750,000 1099 contract—the after-tax difference may be smaller than the gross gap suggests.

The calculator's 401(k) contribution input allows users to model how pre-tax retirement deferrals reduce taxable income, which is especially impactful at the income levels heart surgeons earn.

Specific clinical and technical skills directly influence where a heart surgeon falls within the salary calculator's output range.

Robotic-assisted cardiac surgery proficiency (da Vinci Surgical System) is increasingly in demand as hospitals market minimally invasive valve repair and CABG procedures. Surgeons with documented robotic certification and high case volumes in this modality command premium compensation because they drive institutional referral volume and reduce patient length of stay.

Heart transplant and mechanical circulatory support expertise (LVAD implantation, ECMO management) places surgeons in a small, high-demand niche. Only designated transplant centers perform these procedures, and the limited pool of qualified surgeons means compensation at these institutions trends toward the high end of the calculator's range.

Transcatheter and hybrid procedure collaboration skills are becoming essential as the boundary between interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery blurs. Heart surgeons who can partner on TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) cases and manage structural heart disease in hybrid OR settings are more valuable to programs seeking to build comprehensive heart centers.

Leadership and administrative skills such as serving as surgical director of a cardiac surgery program, managing OR scheduling efficiency, and leading quality improvement initiatives tied to STS (Society of Thoracic Surgeons) star ratings directly affect institutional performance and can unlock administrative stipends on top of clinical salary.

Research and publication track records matter at academic medical centers. Surgeons with NIH-funded research or first-author publications in JTCVS (Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery) or Annals of Thoracic Surgery may receive academic rank advancement that corresponds to salary increases the calculator models through its education-level input.

The salary calculator adjusts estimates based on the state selected because each state has different income tax rates, cost of living, demand for cardiac surgeons, and health system density. Below are specific answers for major states and cities where heart surgeons practice.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in New York?

New York has some of the highest gross compensation for heart surgeons due to the concentration of world-class medical centers including NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, NYU Langone, and Mount Sinai. However, the state imposes significant state income taxes, and New York City adds a local income tax layer. The salary calculator reflects this by showing strong gross estimates for a large metro market but notably reduced after-tax figures compared to states without income tax. Heart surgeons selecting New York in the calculator should expect gross annual ranges of $630,000 to $800,000+ but should pay close attention to the after-tax output.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in California?

California offers high demand across multiple large metros, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego. Institutions like Cedars-Sinai, Stanford Health Care, and UCSD Health employ significant numbers of cardiac surgeons. The state's high income tax rate reduces after-tax income substantially, which the calculator captures when users select California. Gross annual estimates for large California metros range from $615,000 to $780,000, but after-tax figures may trail those of comparable gross salaries in tax-free states by $40,000 to $70,000 annually.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Florida?

Florida has no state income tax, which makes it one of the most favorable states for after-tax compensation in the calculator. Combined with a large and aging population that drives high cardiovascular disease prevalence, Florida offers strong demand through systems like AdventHealth, Baptist Health, and the University of Florida Health network. Gross annual ranges in large Florida metros run $580,000 to $760,000, and the after-tax estimates are disproportionately strong relative to gross pay.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Texas?

Texas is one of the top states for heart surgeons due to the combination of no state income tax, a massive patient population, and premier cardiac surgery institutions including the Texas Heart Institute, Baylor St. Luke's, Houston Methodist, and UT Southwestern. The calculator produces some of the highest after-tax estimates for Texas selections. Gross annual ranges in Houston and Dallas large metros span $600,000 to $775,000, with after-tax retention rates among the best in the country.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Michigan?

Michigan's heart surgery market is anchored by the University of Michigan Health System, Beaumont Health, and Henry Ford Health. Detroit is a large metro, but cost of living is moderate relative to coastal cities. The state has a flat income tax, which the calculator applies. Gross annual estimates range from $565,000 to $730,000, and the relatively lower cost of living means purchasing power can be competitive with higher-gross markets.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Georgia?

Georgia's heart surgery demand is concentrated in the Atlanta metropolitan area, where Emory Healthcare, Piedmont Healthcare, and WellStar Health System operate major cardiac programs. Atlanta's large metro designation triggers the calculator's highest market-size adjustment. Georgia has a moderate state income tax, and gross annual ranges in Atlanta run $575,000 to $740,000.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Ohio?

Ohio punches above its weight in cardiac surgery compensation because of Cleveland Clinic, one of the top cardiac surgery programs globally. Despite Cleveland being a mid-sized metro, the institutional reputation and surgical volume create compensation that rivals large metro markets. Columbus and Cincinnati also have solid programs through Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and Christ Hospital. The calculator's state tax input for Ohio applies a moderate rate, and gross annual ranges span $580,000 to $760,000 depending on market size and employer.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in North Carolina?

North Carolina offers a growing market for heart surgeons, driven by Duke University Health System in Durham, Atrium Health in Charlotte, and Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem. The state has a flat income tax at a moderate rate. The calculator produces gross annual estimates of $560,000 to $725,000 for North Carolina markets, with Duke-affiliated positions trending toward the higher end due to academic prestige and surgical volume.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Illinois?

Illinois compensation is driven heavily by the Chicago metropolitan area, where Northwestern Memorial, Rush University Medical Center, and the University of Chicago Medical Center compete for top cardiac surgeons. Chicago's large metro designation applies the calculator's strongest market adjustment. Illinois state income tax is a flat rate, and gross annual ranges for Chicago-area heart surgeons run $590,000 to $760,000.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Maryland?

Maryland's market is concentrated around Baltimore and the greater Washington, DC, corridor. Johns Hopkins Hospital is among the most prestigious cardiac surgery employers in the country, and the University of Maryland Medical Center also runs a high-volume program. Maryland has progressive state income taxes that can be significant at heart surgeon income levels. The calculator reflects this with strong gross estimates of $590,000 to $770,000 but reduced after-tax figures relative to tax-free states.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Indiana?

Indiana's heart surgery market centers on Indianapolis, where Indiana University Health and Ascension St. Vincent operate the largest cardiac programs. Indianapolis is a mid-sized to large metro, and Indiana's flat state income tax is moderate. Cost of living is well below national average, which makes gross annual estimates of $550,000 to $710,000 stretch further in purchasing power than equivalent salaries on the coasts.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Virginia?

Virginia offers a mix of markets, from the large Northern Virginia/Washington, DC, suburb corridor to mid-sized metros like Richmond and Norfolk. Inova Health System in Northern Virginia and VCU Health in Richmond are major employers. Virginia has a moderate state income tax structure, and the calculator estimates gross annual ranges of $570,000 to $745,000 depending on proximity to the DC metro area.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Connecticut?

Connecticut has a small number of cardiac surgery programs, led by Yale New Haven Health. The state has significant income taxes, and its metros are mid-sized. The calculator produces gross annual estimates of $575,000 to $740,000, but after-tax figures are reduced by the state's progressive tax structure. Proximity to the New York City market can also influence salary expectations for surgeons willing to commute or split practice time.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in New Jersey?

New Jersey has high demand for heart surgeons through systems like RWJBarnabas Health, Hackensack Meridian Health, and AtlantiCare. The state's income tax rates are among the highest in the nation, and the calculator's after-tax estimates for New Jersey reflect this burden. Gross annual ranges run $585,000 to $760,000 in Northern New Jersey's large metro context, but after-tax retention can trail Florida or Texas by $50,000 or more at the same gross level.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Chicago?

Chicago's large metro market supports multiple high-volume cardiac surgery programs at Northwestern Memorial, Rush, University of Chicago, and Advocate Christ Medical Center. The salary calculator applies its highest market-size factor for Chicago, producing hourly estimates of $290 to $365 and annual estimates of $603,200 to $759,200. Illinois state income tax is flat, making after-tax calculations straightforward compared to states with progressive brackets.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles is one of the largest and most competitive markets for cardiac surgery in the United States. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Health, and Keck Medicine of USC all maintain active programs. The calculator produces gross annual estimates of $624,000 to $780,000 for this large metro, though California's high state income tax creates a significant after-tax drag that users will see reflected in the calculator's net output.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in New York City (NYC)?

New York City represents the highest-gross-pay market for heart surgeons in the country due to its density of elite academic medical centers and private hospitals. NewYork-Presbyterian, NYU Langone, Mount Sinai, and Montefiore all compete aggressively for cardiac surgical talent. The calculator generates top-end gross estimates exceeding $800,000 annually. However, the combined state and city income taxes are the highest of any U.S. market, and the after-tax feature of the calculator makes this dramatically visible.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Houston?

Houston is arguably the premier U.S. city for heart surgery due to the Texas Heart Institute, Houston Methodist, Baylor St. Luke's, and Memorial Hermann. The large metro adjustment and Texas's lack of state income tax combine to make Houston one of the best cities in the calculator for after-tax take-home pay. Gross annual estimates range from $613,600 to $769,600, and after-tax figures are exceptionally strong.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Phoenix?

Phoenix is a growing large metro with cardiac surgery programs at Banner University Medical Center, Mayo Clinic Arizona, and HonorHealth. Arizona has a modest flat state income tax, and the calculator produces gross annual estimates of $570,000 to $735,000. The combination of lower taxes and lower cost of living relative to coastal cities makes Phoenix competitive on an after-tax, purchasing-power-adjusted basis.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Atlanta?

Atlanta's large metro market is anchored by Emory Healthcare's nationally ranked cardiac surgery program, along with Piedmont Heart Institute and WellStar. The calculator applies a large metro adjustment and Georgia's moderate state income tax. Gross annual estimates run $582,400 to $738,400, and the relatively moderate cost of living enhances after-tax purchasing power.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in San Diego?

San Diego is a large metro with cardiac surgery programs at UC San Diego Health, Scripps Health, and Sharp HealthCare. The calculator produces gross annual estimates of $600,000 to $765,000 for this market. California state income tax applies the same high rates as Los Angeles, so after-tax figures are comparable to LA despite somewhat lower gross compensation due to fewer competing academic centers.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Washington, DC?

Washington, DC, offers a unique tax situation because the District has its own income tax separate from Maryland and Virginia. The large metro market includes MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute, George Washington University Hospital, and Inova Fairfax (just across the Virginia border). The calculator produces gross annual estimates of $634,400 to $780,000, and users should select the specific jurisdiction—DC, Maryland, or Virginia—to get accurate after-tax estimates since each applies different rates.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Boston?

Boston is one of the top five cardiac surgery markets in the country, anchored by Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The calculator's large metro adjustment yields gross annual estimates of $634,400 to $790,400. Massachusetts state income tax is a flat rate that the calculator applies, and the high cost of living in the metro area is an important factor for surgeons evaluating net purchasing power.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Dallas?

Dallas benefits from the same Texas no-state-income-tax advantage as Houston. Major cardiac surgery employers include UT Southwestern, Baylor Scott & White, and Medical City Dallas. The calculator generates gross annual estimates of $603,200 to $748,800, and after-tax figures are among the strongest of any large metro market. The growing population in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is also increasing demand for cardiac surgical services.

What Does a Heart Surgeon Earn in Seattle?

Seattle has no state income tax in Washington, which makes it an attractive market for after-tax compensation. The University of Washington Medical Center, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, and Swedish Medical Center are the primary cardiac surgery employers. The calculator produces gross annual estimates of $624,000 to $780,000, and the absence of state income tax means after-tax estimates approach those of Texas and Florida despite Seattle's higher cost of living.