Surgeon salary
From 790 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 29-1249: Surgeons, All Other
At a glance
- Mostly Level I (entry-level). 35% of Surgeon filings are Level I, compared with 19% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Cleveland Clinic Foundation. 24 filings (3% of the total), median $147,569.
- Median up 6% since FY2020. From $331,250 in FY2020 to $350,000 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Surgeon H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 790 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Surgeon jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 29-1249, Surgeons, All Other). The median base salary is $343,629, 180% above the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $101,246 and $490,000. The most common wage level is Level I (entry-level), at 35% of filings. Boston, MA has the most filings (48), and Cleveland Clinic Foundation is the employer that files the most (24).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Surgeon
University of Rochester11 filings · 1%$115,128
Employers with the most Surgeon filings. Bar: share of all Surgeon filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 35% of filings
Mid-level · 33% of filings
Senior · 12% of filings
Expert · 19% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $90,371 | 180 |
| Level II · Qualified | $351,600 | 172 |
| Level III · Experienced | $418,321 | 63 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $470,000 | 99 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Surgeon pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 16 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA | $187,200 | 48 |
| New York, NY | $221,551 | 46 |
| Cleveland, OH | $150,000 | 33 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $82,426 | 28 |
| Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 18 |
| Seattle, WA | $104,868 | 18 |
| Atlanta, GA | $92,332 | 17 |
| Durham, NC | $75,684 | 17 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $95,580 | 16 |
| Denver, CO | $190,549 | 15 |
| Miami, FL | $350,200 | 15 |
| Houston, TX | $750,000 | 13 |
| Portland, OR | $93,057 | 13 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $391,977 | 12 |
| St. Louis, MO | $411,398 | 12 |
| Rochester, NY | $275,000 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Surgeon does
All surgeons not listed separately.
O*NET occupation: Surgeons, All Other (29-1249.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Surgeons, All Other), the median annual wage was $239,200+ in May 2025, with 25,140 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $343,629, 17% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $76,128 | $80,320 |
| 25th percentile | $101,246 | $134,850 |
| Median | $343,629 | $239,200+ |
| 75th percentile | $490,000 | $239,200+ |
| 90th percentile | $650,000 | $239,200+ |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $76,128 |
| 25th | $101,246 |
| 50th (median) | $343,629 |
| 75th | $490,000 |
| 90th | $650,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $331,250 | $208,000 | $417,500 | 228 |
| FY2021 | $330,504 | $208,000 | $423,000 | 234 |
| FY2022 | $330,000 | $208,000 | $444,809 | 271 |
| FY2023 | $324,740 | $144,610 | $431,029 | 390 |
| FY2024 | $330,000 | $106,581 | $475,000 | 367 |
| FY2025 | $325,000 | $102,698 | $470,000 | 451 |
| FY2026 | $350,000 | $100,622 | $498,494 | 339 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Surgeon make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Surgeon jobs is $343,629 (790 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $101,246 and $490,000.
What does an entry-level Surgeon earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $90,371. Level I accounts for 35% of Surgeon filings.
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Surgeons?
Cleveland Clinic Foundation (24), Duke University Health System (17) and UPMC Medical Education (16) filed the most Surgeon LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Surgeons earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($343,629) is 17% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($239,200+, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.