Pediatric Surgeon Salary Calculator

Below is a complete guide to every section on this page. Each heading links directly to a detailed discussion of how the Pediatric Surgeon Salary Calculator handles that topic.

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

The salary calculator uses a national median hourly base pay of $144.25 as its starting reference. After applying adjustments for experience, education, and market size, the tool produces low-to-high ranges at every pay interval. Under a standard full-time assumption of 40 hours per week across 52 weeks, the unadjusted annual baseline sits near $300,040. In practice, the calculator's adjusted ranges span considerably wider depending on inputs.

These ranges reflect the combined effect of every variable the calculator models. A newly fellowship-trained pediatric surgeon in a small market will land near the low end, while a department chief at a major children's hospital in a large metro will approach or exceed the high end. Users who select part-time hours or fewer than 40 hours per week will see weekly, monthly, and annual figures scale down proportionally from the hourly rate.

In the context of this salary calculator, "entry level" for a pediatric surgeon means a physician who has completed medical school, a general surgery residency, and a pediatric surgery fellowship but has limited years of independent practice experience and holds no additional advanced credentials beyond initial board eligibility. The calculator treats this profile as the lowest experience tier combined with a standard education level (MD or DO without additional graduate degrees or subspecialty certifications).

When these entry-level parameters are selected, the calculator typically outputs an hourly range near $115–$135, which translates to an annual range of roughly $239,200–$280,800 at 40 hours per week. These figures align with starting salaries at academic medical centers and community hospitals that recruit newly trained pediatric surgeons. The location adjustment remains critical: an entry-level pediatric surgeon in a large metro like Houston will see a different estimate than one joining a rural critical-access hospital network, because the market-size factor in the calculator shifts the range accordingly.

After-tax estimates for entry-level pediatric surgeons vary substantially. A single filer in a high-tax state with no 401(k) contribution will retain considerably less than a married filer in a state with no income tax making maximum retirement deferrals. The calculator allows you to model all of these scenarios in real time.

The salary calculator distinguishes entry-level and senior-level pediatric surgeons primarily through two inputs: years of experience and education level. Increasing either variable lifts the hourly base before market-size and location adjustments are applied.

Senior pediatric surgeons often hold titles such as division chief, surgical director of a fetal treatment center, or endowed chair at an academic institution. The calculator captures this premium when users select the highest experience and education tiers. The gap between entry and senior level can exceed $125,000 annually before taxes. After-tax modeling in the calculator further widens or narrows this gap depending on filing status, state tax burden, and retirement contributions.

The strongest job markets for pediatric surgeons cluster around cities with large freestanding children's hospitals, academic medical centers with pediatric residency programs, and metros with high pediatric population density. The salary calculator's market-size adjustment reflects this: large metro areas with multiple competing children's hospitals generally produce the highest hourly estimates.

Cities without a dedicated children's hospital may still employ pediatric surgeons through regional health systems, but the calculator's small-market adjustment typically reduces the estimate. The presence of multiple competing employers in a city tends to drive compensation upward as hospitals vie for a limited pool of fellowship-trained pediatric surgeons.

Pediatric surgeons are employed primarily by children's hospitals, large academic health systems, and multispecialty physician groups that staff pediatric surgical services.

Locum tenens agencies such as CompHealth frequently offer higher gross hourly rates for pediatric surgeons, but because those roles are typically 1099 contractor positions, the salary calculator's after-tax module becomes essential for comparing true take-home pay against W-2 employment at a permanent institution.

The scope and complexity of a pediatric surgeon's daily responsibilities directly influence where their salary falls within the calculator's range. Pediatric surgeons perform operative procedures on neonates, infants, children, and adolescents for conditions ranging from congenital anomalies such as esophageal atresia and biliary atresia to solid-organ tumors, trauma, and acute abdominal emergencies. Surgeons who manage a high volume of complex neonatal cases—such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair or separation surgery for conjoined twins—command higher compensation because fewer surgeons possess the technical proficiency and institutional support to handle them.

Beyond the operating room, pediatric surgeons maintain outpatient clinics for pre-operative evaluation and post-surgical follow-up, participate in multidisciplinary tumor boards, and take overnight call covering emergency surgical consults across a children's hospital. Call burden is a meaningful salary driver: institutions that require one-in-three or one-in-four call rotations often supplement base salary with call stipends or higher guaranteed productivity credits. Surgeons who take on administrative roles—surgical quality officer, residency program director, or division chief—add leadership responsibilities that the calculator captures through its experience and education adjustments, since these roles correlate strongly with advanced career stage and institutional rank.

Academic pediatric surgeons also conduct bench or clinical research and mentor trainees, which can reduce operative RVU production but is offset by academic salary supplements. The calculator reflects these trade-offs when users adjust their experience level and work-setting inputs.

Several concrete, measurable factors drive the salary calculator's estimate toward the upper end of its range for pediatric surgeons.

Subspecialty expertise in high-acuity niches is the most powerful salary accelerator. Pediatric surgeons who perform fetal surgery, pediatric transplant surgery (liver, kidney), or minimally invasive neonatal procedures occupy an extremely narrow talent pool. Institutions recruiting for these roles routinely offer salaries 15–25% above the general pediatric surgery median.

Large metro job market selection in the calculator applies a positive adjustment factor. Practicing in cities like Boston, New York City, or Los Angeles—where multiple children's hospitals compete for surgical faculty—raises the estimate relative to smaller markets.

Higher years of experience combined with advanced education credentials such as an additional MPH, MBA, or completion of a pediatric surgical oncology fellowship further increases the calculator's output. Board certification by the American Board of Surgery with Added Qualifications in Pediatric Surgery signals mastery to employers and correlates with senior-tier compensation.

Productivity-based compensation models reward surgeons who generate high work RVUs. At institutions like Texas Children's Hospital or CHOP, surgeons who exceed their RVU targets can earn substantial productivity bonuses that push total compensation well above published base-salary benchmarks. The calculator's high-end estimate accounts for these upside scenarios.

The salary calculator's low-end estimates reflect specific, real-world conditions that compress pediatric surgeon pay.

Small or rural job markets produce the most significant downward adjustment. Hospitals in communities with fewer than 250,000 residents rarely sustain dedicated children's surgical programs, and when they do, case volumes are lower, limiting productivity-based income. The calculator's small-market factor models this directly.

Limited experience is the second-largest depressor. A surgeon in their first or second year of independent practice has not yet built the referral network or technical reputation that drives volume, so the calculator places them near the floor of the range.

Part-time scheduling proportionally reduces weekly, monthly, and annual estimates. Some pediatric surgeons transition to part-time status later in their careers or during transitions between institutions; the calculator lets users set exact hours to see the impact.

Academic-only appointment structures at certain university hospitals cap clinical earnings in exchange for protected research time and a lower clinical workload. While these roles carry prestige, the gross salary often falls below the median for community-based pediatric surgeons working equivalent hours.

1099 contractor classification without benefits can appear to offer higher hourly rates, but the calculator's after-tax module reveals that self-employment tax obligations, lack of employer-subsidized health insurance, and absence of employer 401(k) matching reduce effective take-home pay relative to a comparable W-2 salary.

Pediatric surgeons employed as W-2 staff at hospitals and health systems typically receive a comprehensive benefits package that substantially increases total compensation beyond gross salary. Standard benefits include employer-sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance; employer contributions to a 403(b) or 401(k) retirement plan (often 6–10% of base salary at academic medical centers); malpractice insurance coverage with tail provisions; paid CME allowances ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 annually; and relocation stipends for new hires. Many children's hospitals also offer student-loan repayment assistance or signing bonuses between $25,000 and $75,000, reflecting the difficulty of recruiting into this narrow subspecialty.

Paid time off for pediatric surgeons at W-2 positions commonly totals four to six weeks, inclusive of vacation, sick leave, and CME days. Sabbatical programs at academic institutions may provide an additional four to eight weeks of paid leave after six or seven years of service.

Pediatric surgeons working as 1099 independent contractors—primarily through locum tenens agencies—forgo nearly all of these benefits. They must self-fund health insurance, retirement savings, disability coverage, and malpractice tail coverage. The salary calculator's after-tax module helps quantify this difference by allowing users to toggle between W-2 and 1099 classification and adjust their 401(k) contribution, making it possible to compare net take-home pay under both arrangements side by side.

Specific clinical and nonclinical skills shift a pediatric surgeon's salary estimate within the calculator's range.

Advanced minimally invasive surgical technique—thoracoscopic and laparoscopic approaches to neonatal and pediatric conditions—is the single skill most directly correlated with higher pay. Hospitals value surgeons who can offer thoracoscopic congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair, laparoscopic Kasai portoenterostomy, or robotic-assisted pediatric procedures because these techniques reduce length of stay and improve institutional margins.

ECMO cannulation and management proficiency is critical at level-one pediatric trauma and neonatal centers. Surgeons credentialed to cannulate for ECMO are indispensable during emergencies, and this skill increases both their call value and their marketability to top-tier children's hospitals.

Pediatric trauma surgery leadership, including ACS-verified pediatric trauma center medical directorship, commands a salary premium because it couples clinical expertise with administrative accountability and regulatory compliance oversight.

Clinical research productivity—measured by NIH-funded grants, peer-reviewed publications, and multi-center trial participation—elevates academic salary through funded effort and promotion to higher faculty ranks, which the calculator captures via the education-level input.

Interpersonal communication with families of critically ill children is harder to quantify but influences patient-experience scores and institutional reputation, indirectly supporting a surgeon's negotiating position during contract renewals.

The salary calculator adjusts estimates based on state income tax rates, cost of living, regional demand, and job market size. Below are detailed breakdowns for key states and cities.

How Does Location in New York Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

New York is home to several elite pediatric surgical programs, including those at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital (Columbia), Cohen Children's Medical Center (Northwell), and Hassenfeld Children's Hospital (NYU). High demand from a dense pediatric population and a large-metro market-size factor push gross salary estimates toward the calculator's upper range. However, New York's state and city income taxes are among the nation's highest, significantly reducing after-tax take-home pay. The calculator's state-tax and filing-status inputs make this trade-off transparent.

How Does Location in California Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

California offers some of the highest gross pediatric surgeon salaries due to elevated cost of living and intense competition among institutions such as UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, and Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. The calculator's large-metro adjustment applies strongly here. California's progressive state income tax, though, substantially reduces net pay, making the after-tax modeling in the calculator especially valuable for surgeons comparing California offers against lower-tax states.

How Does Location in Florida Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

Florida has no state income tax, which means the calculator's after-tax estimates for Florida-based pediatric surgeons are notably higher on a net basis than in comparable-gross-salary states. Institutions like Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, and Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando actively recruit pediatric surgeons. Gross salary ranges tend to be slightly below the very top-tier metros, but the tax advantage can more than compensate.

How Does Location in Texas Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

Texas combines a zero state income tax environment with some of the country's largest and most prestigious pediatric surgical programs. Texas Children's Hospital in Houston is the largest children's hospital in the United States by bed count, and Children's Health in Dallas operates a major pediatric surgery division. The calculator's large-metro factor and favorable tax treatment make Texas one of the most attractive states for after-tax pediatric surgeon compensation.

How Does Location in Michigan Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

Michigan's primary pediatric surgery employers include C.S. Mott Children's Hospital at the University of Michigan and Children's Hospital of Michigan (Central Michigan) in Detroit. The state carries a flat income tax that is moderate relative to coastal states. Detroit's metro area qualifies as a large market in the calculator, producing solid gross estimates, while the moderate tax burden preserves reasonable after-tax pay.

How Does Location in Georgia Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

Georgia's pediatric surgery market is dominated by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, which operates two major campuses and is consistently ranked among the top pediatric hospitals nationally. Atlanta's large-metro classification in the calculator yields competitive gross estimates. Georgia's state income tax is moderate, and cost of living in the Atlanta metro is lower than coastal cities, offering favorable purchasing power that the calculator's after-tax module helps quantify.

How Does Location in Ohio Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

Ohio has multiple strong pediatric surgery programs: Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital (University Hospitals) in Cleveland. Columbus and Cincinnati function as mid-sized to large metros in the calculator. Ohio's state income tax is progressive but moderate, and cost of living is well below the national median, making real purchasing power relatively strong for pediatric surgeons.

How Does Location in North Carolina Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

North Carolina's pediatric surgical hubs include Levine Children's Hospital (Atrium Health) in Charlotte and NC Children's Hospital at UNC in Chapel Hill. The state has a flat income tax rate that is competitive with neighboring southeastern states. Charlotte qualifies as a large metro in the calculator, while the Research Triangle area functions as a mid-sized metro. Demand for pediatric surgeons in the state is growing alongside population growth, which supports salary estimates at or slightly above the national median.

How Does Location in Illinois Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

Illinois's pediatric surgery market centers on Chicago, where Lurie Children's Hospital, Comer Children's Hospital (University of Chicago), and Advocate Children's Hospital operate major programs. The calculator's large-metro adjustment produces strong gross estimates. Illinois's flat state income tax is moderate, but the overall tax burden—including local property taxes—can reduce net pay. The after-tax module helps surgeons weigh a Chicago offer against alternatives in lower-tax states.

How Does Location in Maryland Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

Maryland is home to Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore, one of the most storied pediatric surgery training grounds in the country. The Baltimore-Washington corridor functions as a large metro in the calculator. Maryland's state income tax is progressive and relatively high, and some counties levy additional local income taxes. Gross salary estimates are competitive, but after-tax take-home requires careful modeling in the calculator.

How Does Location in Indiana Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

Indiana's primary pediatric surgical employer is Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis. Indianapolis qualifies as a mid-sized metro in the calculator, producing salary estimates slightly below the largest markets. Indiana's flat state income tax is among the lowest in the Midwest, and cost of living is well below the national average, resulting in strong real purchasing power on an after-tax basis.

How Does Location in Virginia Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

Virginia's pediatric surgery positions are concentrated at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk and UVA Children's Hospital in Charlottesville, with additional opportunities in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. Northern Virginia benefits from the DC large-metro factor in the calculator. Virginia's state income tax is moderate, and surgeons in Northern Virginia gain access to a high-salary market while residing in a slightly lower-tax jurisdiction than neighboring Maryland or DC.

How Does Location in Connecticut Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford is the state's primary pediatric surgical employer. Hartford functions as a mid-sized metro in the calculator. Connecticut's state income tax is progressive and relatively high, which reduces after-tax pay. However, proximity to New York and Boston labor markets means employers must offer competitive gross salaries to attract and retain pediatric surgeons, keeping estimates within a reasonable range of larger metros.

How Does Location in New Jersey Affect Pediatric Surgeon Salary?

New Jersey's pediatric surgery roles are found at Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital (Robert Wood Johnson) in New Brunswick, Children's Hospital of New Jersey (Newark Beth Israel), and Hackensack University Medical Center. Northern New Jersey benefits from the New York City large-metro spillover factor in the calculator, producing strong gross estimates. New Jersey's state income tax is among the highest in the country, and property tax burden is significant, making the calculator's after-tax analysis critical for surgeons considering offers here versus neighboring states.

How Does Pediatric Surgeon Salary Differ in Chicago?

Chicago is one of the nation's deepest pediatric surgery markets, with Lurie Children's, Comer Children's, and Advocate Children's all employing multiple pediatric surgeons. The calculator's large-metro factor applies. Competition among institutions supports gross hourly estimates in the $145–$190 range. Illinois's moderate state income tax produces after-tax results that are competitive with many other large metros.

How Does Pediatric Surgeon Salary Differ in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles anchors a massive pediatric healthcare market led by Children's Hospital Los Angeles, a top-five nationally ranked children's hospital. UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital and Cedars-Sinai also employ pediatric surgeons. The calculator applies the large-metro premium, yielding hourly estimates of $150–$195. California's high state income tax reduces net pay, so the after-tax module is essential for comparing LA offers with opportunities in no-tax states like Texas or Florida.

How Does Pediatric Surgeon Salary Differ in New York City (NYC)?

NYC's pediatric surgery market includes Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, Hassenfeld Children's Hospital, Cohen Children's Medical Center, and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital. Gross salary estimates are among the highest nationally, with the calculator's large-metro factor fully engaged. However, the combined burden of New York State income tax and New York City local income tax makes after-tax modeling indispensable. Surgeons who commute from New Jersey or Connecticut face different state tax implications that the calculator handles through its state-selection input.

How Does Pediatric Surgeon Salary Differ in Houston?

Houston is arguably the single strongest market for pediatric surgeons in the United States, anchored by Texas Children's Hospital. The calculator's large-metro factor combines with Texas's zero state income tax to produce some of the highest after-tax estimates of any U.S. city. Hourly estimates range from $145 to $190, and the absence of state income tax means the calculator's after-tax output retains a larger share of gross pay than in nearly any other large metro.

How Does Pediatric Surgeon Salary Differ in Phoenix?

Phoenix's pediatric surgery market centers on Phoenix Children's Hospital, one of the largest freestanding children's hospitals in the country. The calculator's large-metro factor applies. Arizona's state income tax is relatively low, and cost of living is below coastal metros, producing favorable after-tax results. Gross estimates in the $138–$178 range trail the very top markets but deliver competitive purchasing power.

How Does Pediatric Surgeon Salary Differ in Atlanta?

Atlanta's pediatric surgery market revolves around Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (Scottish Rite and Egleston campuses), which handles one of the highest pediatric surgical volumes in the Southeast. The calculator assigns the large-metro factor. Georgia's moderate income tax and Atlanta's relatively affordable cost of living compared to coastal cities make after-tax pay competitive, with hourly estimates of $140–$182.

How Does Pediatric Surgeon Salary Differ in San Diego?

Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego is the region's primary pediatric surgical employer. The calculator's large-metro factor applies, producing hourly estimates of $148–$190. Like the rest of California, San Diego carries a high state income tax burden, but cost of living is somewhat lower than San Francisco or Los Angeles, partially offsetting the tax impact in the calculator's after-tax output.

How Does Pediatric Surgeon Salary Differ in Washington, DC?

Washington, DC is served by Children's National Hospital, a major freestanding children's hospital that employs a large pediatric surgery division. The calculator's large-metro factor is fully applied. DC levies its own income tax, which is moderate compared to neighboring Maryland but higher than Virginia. Surgeons living in Virginia or Maryland suburbs will see different after-tax results depending on which state they select in the calculator.

How Does Pediatric Surgeon Salary Differ in Boston?

Boston's pediatric surgery market is anchored by Boston Children's Hospital, widely regarded as the number-one children's hospital in the United States. Massachusetts General Hospital for Children also employs pediatric surgeons. The calculator applies the large-metro premium, producing hourly estimates of $155–$198. Massachusetts's state income tax is a flat rate that is moderate-to-high, and Boston's cost of living is among the highest in the country. The after-tax module is particularly useful here for comparing net pay against lower-cost markets.

How Does Pediatric Surgeon Salary Differ in Dallas?

Dallas is home to Children's Health, which operates Children's Medical Center Dallas and Children's Medical Center Plano. The calculator's large-metro factor applies, and Texas's zero state income tax ensures that after-tax estimates remain strong. Hourly estimates of $142–$185 translate to annual ranges that, on an after-tax basis, compete closely with higher-gross-salary offers in states like California or New York.

How Does Pediatric Surgeon Salary Differ in Seattle?

Seattle Children's Hospital is the Pacific Northwest's dominant pediatric surgical center and a nationally ranked institution. The calculator assigns the large-metro factor, yielding hourly estimates of $148–$192. Washington State has no personal income tax, making Seattle one of the most favorable large-metro markets for after-tax pediatric surgeon pay. The calculator's after-tax output reflects this advantage clearly when compared against cities in high-tax states.