Hand Surgeon Salary in the United States

How much does a Hand Surgeon make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Hand Surgeon in the United States is $535,865 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $258.

However, a Hand Surgeon's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $668,299
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $479,039 to $605,186
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $427,302
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View as table View as graph 25% $479,039 10% $427,302 90% $668,299 75% $605,186 $535,865 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Hand Surgeon Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $605,186 $50,432 $11,638 $291
Average $535,865 $44,655 $10,305 $258
25th Percentile $479,039 $39,920 $9,212 $230
Check out Hand Surgeon Job Openings in the United States
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Key Factors That Influence Hand Surgeon Salaries

A Hand Surgeon's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Hand Surgeon Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Hand Surgeon's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $526,394
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $530,340
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $550,050
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $582,897
  • Expert (over 8 years): $588,762
Levels Salary
Entry Level Hand Surgeon$526,394
Intermediate Level Hand Surgeon$530,340
Senior Level Hand Surgeon$550,050
Specialist Level Hand Surgeon$582,897
Expert Level Hand Surgeon$588,762
$526,394 0 yr
$530,340 < 2 yrs
$550,050 2-4 yrs
$582,897 5-8 yrs
$588,762 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Hand Surgeons

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $675,887
  • San Francisco: $668,486
  • Oakland: $654,398

What Skills Can Increase a Hand Surgeon's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 4.08% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 4.37% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
  • Medical Education (Mentioned in 3.02% Job Postings): Medical education is a course of study directed toward imparting knowledge and skills required for the prevention and treatment of diseases to persons seeking to become physicians.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 4.08%
Acute Care 4.37%
Medical Education 3.02%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Hand Surgeon's salary.
  • Scheduling: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Oncology: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Scheduling
$578,734
8%
Oncology
$551,941
3%
Leadership
$546,582
2%
Internal Medicine
$546,582
2%
Collaboration
$546,582
2%
Acute Care
$546,582
2%
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Hand Surgeon Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Hand Surgeon roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit, offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely, Hand Surgeon positions in Healthcare typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Hand Surgeon as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Hand Surgeon

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit$643,038$309.020%

How Education impacts a Hand Surgeon's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Hand Surgeons enter the field with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Hand Surgeon with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent is between $521,234 and $600,245).

Hand Surgeon Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Hand Surgeon
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.7%
High School 3.9%
Associates 2.0%
Bachelors 1.3%
Masters 2.6%
Doctorate 89.5%
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Hand Surgeon Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Hand Surgeon's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on July 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Hand Surgeon

Salaries for a Hand Surgeon can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $230,995 in 2023 to around $225,814 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Hand Surgeon salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Hand Surgeon Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$230,995
2024
$236,482
2025
$225,814
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $230,995
2024 $236,482
2025 $225,814
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Hand Surgeon

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Hand Surgeon

Here are companies hiring for Hand Surgeon and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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