Hello, I'm Dr. Emily Carter, a cardiothoracic surgeon with over 20 years of experience. I've dedicated my career to saving lives and improving the well-being of my patients. In my field, we operate on the heart and lungs, performing complex surgeries to address a wide range of conditions.

When it comes to salary, the question of "how much does a heart surgeon make an hour?" is a bit tricky. There's no simple hourly rate for a cardiac surgeon. Why? Because our compensation is determined by a variety of factors, making it a complex picture.

Here's a breakdown of the key factors that influence a cardiac surgeon's income:

* Experience: As with any profession, experience plays a significant role. A seasoned surgeon, with years of expertise, commands a higher salary than a newer surgeon just starting their career.
* Location: The geographic location of practice impacts income. Surgeons in major metropolitan areas often see higher salaries compared to those working in rural communities. This is due to factors like the cost of living, patient volume, and market demand.
* Hospital Affiliation: The specific hospital or medical group a surgeon is affiliated with affects income. Hospitals may offer different compensation models, including salary, fee-for-service, or a combination of both. Large academic medical centers often have different salary structures than smaller community hospitals.
* Surgical Volume: The number of surgeries a surgeon performs significantly impacts their income. Surgeons who perform a higher volume of complex procedures tend to earn more.
* Call Schedule: Cardiac surgeons often work on-call, meaning they are available for emergency surgeries outside of their regular hours. The frequency and duration of call schedules can affect their overall income.

Breaking down the numbers:

To give you a general idea, the average salary for a cardiac surgeon in the United States can range from $350,000 to $700,000 per year. This translates to an hourly rate of approximately $167 to $336 per hour. However, it's crucial to remember that this is just an average. Individual surgeons may earn considerably more or less depending on the factors mentioned above.

Beyond the hourly rate:

It's important to note that the hourly rate doesn't fully capture the true value of a cardiac surgeon's work. Their expertise and dedication involve much more than simply performing surgeries. They are involved in:

* **Diagnosing and treating complex heart conditions.**
* **Developing personalized treatment plans for patients.**
* **Leading multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals.**
* **Staying up-to-date on the latest medical advancements and surgical techniques.**
* **Performing extensive research and contributing to the advancement of cardiac care.**

In conclusion:

The question of how much a heart surgeon makes per hour is not as simple as it may seem. While the average hourly rate can be estimated, a multitude of factors influence individual surgeon's income. What truly matters is the expertise, dedication, and life-saving impact these surgeons have on their patients, making their contribution to healthcare invaluable.

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Cardiothoracic surgeon hourly salary. The average wage per hour for these professionals ranges between $147.53 and $270 according to the salary statistics done by Jobstat. The highest paid cardiac surgeons earn an hourly wage of $270.67 per hour, while the lowest paid earns $40.86 per hour.read more >>