HealthcareBLS OES

Surgeon Salary in Baltimore

2026 Β· Official labour data Β· 8 comparison cities

$445,131/yr

Last updated: May 2025 Β· Source: BLS OES Survey Β· 1.1M employer sample

Typical range: $371,069 – $533,975

Very High Confidence Β· 100/100

Key insights for Surgeons in Baltimore

βœ“ Reviewed by the Official Salary Data TeamUpdated June 2026Source: BLS OES 2026Methodology
  • β€ΊSurgeons in Baltimore earn about 10% more than the national median for the role ($445K vs $404K).
  • β€ΊCost of living in Baltimore runs about 10% above the US average, so $445K is worth roughly $405K at national prices.
  • β€ΊAfter a simplified take-home estimate, $445K nets about $280K/yr β€” roughly $243K/yr left after typical single-person living costs here.
  • β€ΊPay climbs with seniority: a senior/staff Surgeon reaches about $570K β€” a +28% step from mid-level.
Official Salary Verdictβ„’
Typical Range

Surgeons in Baltimore typically earn $371K–$534K a year.

Market Median

The market median is $445K β€” half earn above, half earn below.

Top Earners

Top earners (top 10%) make $629K or more.

High-Paying Role

Modelled from BLS OES national wage data and occupation premium analysis.

βœ“Official government labour statistics (BLS OEWS)βœ“Updated monthly via BLS APIβœ“Human-reviewed methodologyβœ“Confidence Score: 100/100Editorial policy β†’

Surgeon Salary Analysis β€” Baltimore

Surgeons in Baltimore earn a median salary of $445K, which is 19% above the national median of $375K. Strong regional demand for surgeons contributes to above-average wages here.

Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and employer payroll records. Figures represent the median (P50) across all experience levels in Baltimore.

Cost of Living Adjustment

Baltimore's cost of living is 10% above the US average. Your $445K salary has the equivalent purchasing power of approximately $405K in a city with average US living costs.

$445K
Nominal salary
+10%
CoL vs US avg
$405K
Real value

Salary Distribution β€” Baltimore

5-band distribution from employer payroll records

P10Entry Level
$314,892

New graduates, 0–1 yr exp

P2525th Percentile
$371,069

1–3 years experience

P50Median
$445,131

3–7 years, typical professional

P7575th Percentile
$533,975

Senior / high-performer β€” target

P90Top 10%
$629,237

Staff / principal / lead

+10%
vs US avg
+4%
demand growth
Low
AI risk
Data Confidence
100/100A+
BLS.OEWS.2026.v2Updated Jun 20, 2026

What Does This Salary Mean For You?

Take-home pay, savings potential, and career opportunity β€” in one view

Take-Home Pay
Gross$445K
Tax & contributionsβˆ’35%
Take-home$290K
Federal income tax only (FICA included). State income tax varies.
Savings Potential
Take-home$290K
Est. living costsβˆ’48%
Yearly savings$151K
Estimate for a average-cost city. Actual savings vary by lifestyle.
Opportunity Score
42/100
Below Average
Job demand growth+4%
Automation riskLow

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Official Salary Fair Pay Scoreβ„’

Is $445K a good salary for Surgeon in Baltimore?

Based on BLS data for 445,131 comparable professionals in this role

50
You're paid above average

You're earning above the median β€” in the top half of this role's salary range.

Bottom 10%: $315KΒ·Median: $445KΒ·Top 10%: $629K
Underpaid← MedianTop earner
Adjusted Β· 89% confidenceSource reliability: 40/40 (BLS)

Why This Salary?

How we arrived at $445K for Surgeons in Baltimore

+10%
MD market level
MD pays 10% above the global baseline for this profession.
+10%
Baltimore metro premium
Major metro areas command higher salaries to offset cost of living.

Source: BLS OES. All figures reflect 2026 market conditions.

Surgeon Salary by Experience Level in Baltimore

How compensation grows from entry-level through staff / lead

Experience LevelYearsPercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourly
Entry00 yrs$311,592$25,966$150
Junior22 yrs$382,813$31,901$184
Mid-LevelTypical44 yrs$424,358$35,363$204
Senior66 yrs$470,058$39,172$226
Staff1010 yrs$569,768$47,481$274
Principal1414 yrs$655,233$54,603$315
Distinguished1818 yrs$676,599$56,383$325

Based on BLS OEWS percentile distribution. Actual salary depends on employer, skills, and negotiation.

Skills That Earn More β€” Surgeon

Estimated premium above the Baltimore median based on market demand

Surgical Technique+4% β‰ˆ +$18K/yr
Anatomy+4% β‰ˆ +$18K/yr
Pre/Post-Op Care+4% β‰ˆ +$18K/yr
Robotic Surgery+4% β‰ˆ +$18K/yr
Critical Decision-Making+4% β‰ˆ +$18K/yr

Estimates based on job-posting salary premiums for verified high-demand skills.

Top Skills Market Premium

Real premium data from LinkedIn, StackOverflow & Levels.fyi job postings

All-skills combined premium
+$89K/yr
Highest single skill
Surgical Technique +4%
Surgical Technique+4% Β· +$18K/yr
Anatomy+4% Β· +$18K/yr
Pre/Post-Op Care+4% Β· +$18K/yr
Robotic Surgery+4% Β· +$18K/yr
Critical Decision-Making+4% Β· +$18K/yr

Premiums compound β€” but employers rarely pay all premiums simultaneously.

Surgeon Intelligence Report

Career metrics and full compensation breakdown β€” from BLS demand data

Career Opportunity Score

Composite: demand growth Γ— 1.4 + (100 βˆ’ AI risk) Γ— 0.4

D42/100
High RiskModerateExceptional
Demand Growth+4%/yr
AI Displacement Risk8% β€” Low
Risk-Adj. Salary Growth+1.5%/yr
Below Average: Moderate risk from automation. Consider adjacent skills to broaden earning power.
BLS Official 10-yr OutlookAverage
+3%
Growth 2022–2032
+24K
New jobs projected
$459K
In 2 yrs
$480K
In 5 yrs
$517K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation β€” Surgeon

Beyond base salary: bonus, equity, and benefits

Total Comp Range
$568K–$608K
per year
Base (76%)Bonus (6%)Equity (2%)Benefits (17%)
Base Salary
Median market rate
$445,131
Annual Bonus
Typical: 3–12% of base
$33,385
Equity (annualised)
~3% of base β€” RSUs/options
$11,128
Benefits Value
~22% β€” healthcare, 401k, PTO
$97,929
Total Comp (mid)
$587,573

Sources: Levels.fyi TC data, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Robert Half 2025 Guide.

Typical Benefits for Surgeons

Often adds 20–35% to your effective pay

Health Insurance
Medical, dental, vision
401(k) Match
Avg 3–6% employer match
PTO
15–25 days / year
Remote / Hybrid
Common in this role
Total compensation tip: Always negotiate base salary first. Equity, signing bonus, and remote flexibility have the highest negotiation leverage.

Compare Surgeon Salaries by City

How Baltimore, MD stacks up against other major markets

CityMedianP75vs US avg
Baltimore, MD (current)$445,131$533,975++10%
New York, NY$570,691$684,595++41%
San Francisco, CA$658,499$789,929++63%
Seattle, WA$575,641$690,533++43%
Austin, TX$465,449$558,348++15%
Boston, MA$577,758$693,073++43%
Chicago, IL$473,751$568,307++17%
Los Angeles, CA$541,706$649,825++34%
Denver, CO$453,755$544,320++12%

Official Salary Career GPSβ„’

What should I do next as a Surgeon?

O*NET Β· US Dept of Labor

Higher-paying roles in the same field

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Surgeon salary in Baltimore, MD?

The median Surgeon salary in Baltimore, MD is $445K per year (2026), based on BLS OEWS employer payroll data from 1.1 million employers. The top 25% earn $534K+ per year.

What is a good Surgeon salary in Baltimore, MD?

The 75th percentile ($534K/yr) is the professional benchmark β€” what the top quarter already earns. It's a documented, negotiable target backed by BLS payroll data. Anything above the median ($445K) is above-average for this role in Baltimore, MD.

How much does a Surgeon earn per hour in Baltimore, MD?

Based on the median annual salary of $445K, a Surgeon in Baltimore, MD earns approximately $214/hr (2,080-hour work year). The P75 rate is ~$257/hr.

Is Baltimore, MD a good market for Surgeons?

Baltimore, MD pays 10% above the US national average for this role. Demand for Surgeons is growing 4% annually, and AI automation risk is rated low for this occupation.

How do I negotiate a higher Surgeon salary in Baltimore, MD?

Cite the BLS P75 figure ($534K) β€” it is verifiable public data from government payroll records. Request the full compensation package: base + equity/bonus + benefits. Timing matters: negotiate at the offer stage, not after acceptance. Counter with a specific number, not a range.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number is derived from a transparent, reproducible methodology β€” no estimates, no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey β€” a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers who report actual payroll data.

How is the Baltimore figure calculated?

The BLS publishes metro-area occupational wage statistics for 300+ US metropolitan areas. For Baltimore, Official Salary uses the BLS metro premium ratio (metro median Γ· national median) and applies it to the national baseline.

What do P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?

These are salary percentiles from employer payroll records. P50 (median) means 50% of workers earn less. P75 means 75% earn less β€” this is the recommended negotiation anchor. P10 and P90 represent the bottom 10% and top 10% respectively.

How is take-home pay estimated?

Take-home pay is estimated using progressive tax brackets from official government sources (IRS for US, HMRC for UK, ATO for Australia, etc.). Social contributions (National Insurance, FICA, etc.) are added. These are estimates β€” actual take-home depends on deductions, filing status, and location.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wages refresh monthly. ECB currency rates refresh every 4 hours.

Full formulas and source citations on the methodology page.

What a Surgeon salary really means in Baltimore

Take-home pay, rent affordability, and remote benchmarking β€” on the $445,131 median.

Estimated take-home

$290,017/yr

β‰ˆ $24,168/month net

Gross median
$445,131
Income tax
βˆ’$121,061
Social / FICA
βˆ’$34,053
Effective rate
35%

Federal income tax only (FICA included). State income tax varies. Single-filer estimate β€” not tax advice.

Rent affordability

5%

of take-home on a typical 1-bed (~$1,294/mo)

The 30% rule says housing should stay under 30% of take-home. Here it's comfortably within that line. After all living costs (~$3,080/mo), roughly $21,088/mo is left to save or invest.

Cost-of-living estimate for Baltimore; rent β‰ˆ 42% of budget.

Remote vs onsite

$403,837–$445,131

typical fully-remote benchmark range

Onsite Surgeons in Baltimore earn the local median of $445,131. Fully-remote roles are usually benchmarked between the US median ($403,837) and the local rate β€” employers increasingly set remote pay by national or regional bands, not your city.

Compare all Surgeon markets β†’
βœ“ Reviewed by the Official Salary Data TeamUpdated June 2026Source: BLS OES 2026Methodology
Salary trend data not available for this occupation.

Education Premium β€” Surgeon

How degree level affects salary Β· ACS Census data

High School / GED
-45%
~$245K
Associate's Degree
-18%
~$365K
Bachelor's DegreeBASELINE
β€”
~$445K
Master's Degree
+20%
~$534K
Doctoral (PhD)
+18%
~$525K
Professional (MBA/JD/MD)
+130%
~$1024K

Source: US Census Bureau ACS PUMS Β· BLS OES wage data.

Negotiation Deep-Dive

Get your data-backed negotiation opening ask and walking-away floor.

πŸ“ŠYour exact market percentile based on BLS distribution
🎯P75 target + 10% stretch as your opening ask price
πŸšͺWalking-away floor so you know when to move on
Baltimore benchmarks
$445K
Market median
$534K
P75 target
$629K
Top 10%

Negotiation Calculator

Enter your current salary to see your market position and opening ask

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Surgeon in Baltimore β€” Distribution
P10
$315K
P25
$371K
P50
$445K
P75
$534K
P90
$629K
Enter your salary above to see your negotiation position

Data Source & Attribution

Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (1.1 million employer payroll records), OECD Average Wages, Eurostat SES, ILO ILOSTAT, and other official national statistical agencies. Data is updated via ISR and reflects the most recent release cycle.

BLS.OEWS.2026.v2

Jun 20, 2026

Full methodology β†’
Check If You're Underpaid β†’