Heart surgery is a sub-specialty in the field of cardiothoracic surgery, which is where you would go if you needed an operation on your heart, lungs or chest arteries. This is the surgeon you would see if you needed a heart bypass operation or a procedure to correct a congenital heart defect. All specialist heart surgeons have a minimum of 15 years of education and training in their chosen profession. This demanding work translates to some of the highest salaries in the surgical field.
Heart surgeons operate on the heart and its associated "plumbing" such as the valves, arteries and blood vessels feeding the heart. They perform a mix of scheduled operations and emergency procedures to restore the functioning of a patient's heart if it has failed due to a heart attack or other life-threatening incident. The hours are long and arduous, the work intense. Successful surgeons have specific characteristics that help them to perform well in emergency situations. They have the ability to think on their feet, work for extended periods of absolute concentration and they have the highest respect for human life.
First, you will need to become a medical doctor which requires a bachelor's degree in pre-medicine or a science-related subject followed by four years in medical school. Most doctors then gain their real-world experience as a general physician before choosing to specialize in surgery. The next step is a five-year general surgery program before training specifically as a heart surgeon, which requires another two-or three-year residency. Some aspiring surgeons hop straight into cardiothoracic training via a six-year cardiothoracic surgery residency. Either way, it takes a minimum of 12-to-15 years' training before you properly qualify.
All this hard work is not without its rewards. While general surgeons earn a median $208,000 annually in 2018, heart surgeons pull in $353,627. The median is the wage in the middle, that is half of all surgeons earn below this amount, half earn more.
Heart surgeons perform both emergency and scheduled operations in the surgical ward of a hospital. Some work as general heart specialists; others specialize in certain procedures like heart transplants or bypass surgery. Some heart surgeons transition into education and may work exclusively in teaching hospitals and medical schools teaching an approved cardiothoracic program. Saving lives is stressful, and aspiring heart surgeons must be prepared for long and irregular hours, emotional trauma and the potentially devastating consequences of human error.
Years of Experience
Heart surgeons make good money from the very beginning of their careers, which is not surprising when you consider the years they spend in classrooms and in residency. While junior heart surgeons are extremely well-compensated, more experienced surgeons can expect to make even more money. A typical cardiothoracic surgeon salary range looks like this:
- New heart surgeon, less than five years’ experience: $203,000
- Mid-career, 10 years' experience: $303,000
- Senior, 20+ years: $500,000.
Job Growth Trend
The number of surgical jobs is expected to grow by 13 percent between 2016 and 2026, which is much higher than the average job-growth rate. This means that more surgical jobs are being added to the economy than other professions. Part of this growth rate can be attributed to the aging population since more older people than younger people tend to need heart surgery. Surgical innovation plays another part. New advances in robotic surgery and tissue engineering allow surgeons to perform operations that may not have been possible a decade ago, allowing the treatment of more patients than ever before.