Career roadmap
How to become an Orthopedic Surgeon
Median annual wage for Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric (29-1242) — BLS OEWS, May 2023. BLS publishes no annual wage above $239,200, so the median is at or above this figure.
What you would actually do
The tasks that make up the work of an Orthopedic Surgeon, weighted by how central each one is to the job.
- Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
- Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
- Diagnose medical conditions.
- Operate on patients to treat conditions.
- Prescribe medications.
- Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
- Supervise patient care personnel.
- Sterilize medical equipment or instruments.
Would this suit you?
Every occupation leans on a particular mix of interests. Here is the mix measured for an Orthopedic Surgeon — and our free 2-minute Career Match scores you on the same six.
- Investigative6.5/7
Investigating, diagnosing, reasoning through problems with evidence
- Realistic5.1/7
Hands-on, practical, working with tools, machines or the body
- Social4.8/7
Helping, teaching, caring for and working directly with people
- Conventional3.9/7
Ordering, checking, following a precise procedure accurately
- Enterprising2.4/7
Persuading, leading, selling, taking commercial risk
- Artistic1.5/7
Creating, expressing, working without a fixed procedure
Interest profiles from the O*NET 29.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0.
