NEUROSURGEON SALARIES

What kind of money would you expect after a 1 year general surgical internship training followed by a 5 to 7 years of rigorous dedicated neurosurgery residency with long hours and often sleepless nights ? Thats right - Big ...and thats what Neurosurgeons make.

Here are some base salary median figures for sample cities. Value of bonuses and perks could add up another $100,000 or more per year. With experience and business arrangements in private practice like ownership, $700,000 to a Million dollars a year is possible.

• New York, NY: $425,000/-
• Houston, TX: $375,000/-
• Los Angeles, CA: $410,000/-
• Miami, FL: $360,000/-
• Seattle, WA: $390,000/-

US National Average : $380,000/- to $420,000/- as per various surveys and sources

The 2007 Merrit-Hawkins Salary Survey determined the salary average for Neurosurgeons to be around $530,000 per year.

Lifestyle ? Busy with work ! and unless you prioritize and setup schedules, life's gonna take a dizzy spin with work no time for family. As Jonathan Smith, MD says:

"Anyone considering the specialty of neurosurgery must be willing to work really hard and long hours. It is important to understand, as early as possible, the rigorous schedule involved during the five to seven years of residency years and beyond. This includes late hours, little sleep and personal sacrifices."

Add to this the fact that it is expensive for an hospital to hire a Neurosurgeon - and hence a single Neurosurgeon with excessive case-load is not an uncommon scenario ! For example, as this article says:

"Medical industry surveys indicate a mid-career neurosurgeon in the Midwest can earn $50,000 a month, or about $600,000 per year. Add other costs --- hiring support personnel, office expenses, annual medical malpractice insurance premiums running north of $200,000 --- and the price tag could surpass $1 million for hiring a Neurosurgeon".

"It's a huge concern. I am the only neurosurgeon at the hospital I am at," said Hurley, who is based at a Joliet hospital. "My typical work week is 70 hours."

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In this excellent Interview transcript, Dr. Volker Sontag says that young neurosurgeons must be prepared to work 80 hours a week, which reduces to a more comfortable 60 hours a week in around 20 years.



And yeah - besides the hectic hours, there is something else to pay attention to - The amount of Malpractice Insurance Premiums - pretty high for something as risky as Neurosurgery, coz' a damaged brain is devastating to the quality of one's life. And what's more, one can get sued even AFTER a successful surgery...like this patient who won $16 Million Dollars after a neurosurgeon at Jackson Memorial Hospital, FL, forgot to give her anti-seizure pills after the surgery !

A more amusing read is the case of one William Lenahan who falsely accused a Neurosurgeon Dr.Douglas Martin of paralysis and Dementia, and was awarded 2 Million. But Dr. Martin refused to believe that, hired a private detective who was able to videotape William Lenahan climbing stairs, lifting multiple luggages and even dancing ! LOL. Lenahan and his wife were later convicted of grand theft and ordered to pay back much of the money - but this does show the huge potential for frivolous malpractice lawsuits.

As per this article, specialists such as a neurosurgeon can still pay $250,000 or more a year for insurance, well in Illinois they are pretty high anyways :-) .


Most of the Neurosurgery Positions are offered via the SF-Match Program (San Francisco Match)



Also Read:

- Most Often Sued Physician Specialties in USA
- Malpractice Premium Quotes By Specialty (Ongoing Database)




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