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Children's Hospitals
Boston Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Texas Children's Hospital
Pediatric Surgeons
Pediatric surgeons evaluate babies, children, and teens to decide whether surgery is needed and, if so, which approach is safest. The work is distinct because every decision has to account for a child’s size, development, and family’s understanding, so the tradeoff is high-stakes precision in exchange for very long training and constant responsibility.
Also known as Pediatric SurgeonPediatric General SurgeonPediatric Surgery PhysicianAttending Pediatric SurgeonConsultant Pediatric Surgeon
Median Salary
$0
Mean $450,810
U.S. Workforce
~1K
0K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+1.5%
1.1K to 1.1K
Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Pediatric Surgeons sits in the Healthcare category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~1K workers, with a median annual pay of $0 and roughly 0K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 1.1 K in 2024 to 1.1K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Surgical Resident and can progress toward Division Chief / Program Director. High-value skills usually include Pediatric surgical planning & operative decision-making, Open, laparoscopic & minimally invasive surgical technique, and Preoperative risk assessment & diagnostic interpretation, paired with soft skills such as Clear communication with families, Calm judgment under pressure, and Leadership in the operating room.
Core Responsibilities
- Review a child’s medical history, allergies, exam findings, and test results to decide whether surgery is actually needed and which procedure makes the most sense.
- Talk with parents or guardians about what will happen before and after surgery, including medicines, fasting, antibiotics, and how the recovery area should be prepared.
- Examine fetuses, infants, children, and teenagers in person to understand the problem and determine whether surgery is the right treatment.
- Work with other specialists, such as cardiologists and endocrinologists, to make sure the child is safe for surgery and that the plan fits the rest of the medical care.
Keep exploring: more Healthcare careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Review a child’s medical history, allergies, exam findings, and test results to decide whether surgery is actually needed and which procedure makes the most sense.
02 Talk with parents or guardians about what will happen before and after surgery, including medicines, fasting, antibiotics, and how the recovery area should be prepared.
03 Examine fetuses, infants, children, and teenagers in person to understand the problem and determine whether surgery is the right treatment.
04 Work with other specialists, such as cardiologists and endocrinologists, to make sure the child is safe for surgery and that the plan fits the rest of the medical care.
05 Lead nurses, residents, assistants, and other operating room staff during procedures so everyone knows their role and the case stays coordinated.
06 Check surgical tools, equipment, and the operating room before the procedure to make sure everything is sterile and ready to use.
Industries That Hire
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Academic Medical Centers
Mayo Clinic, Stanford Health Care, Cleveland Clinic
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Large Health Systems
Kaiser Permanente, HCA Healthcare, Ascension
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Research and Teaching Hospitals
Johns Hopkins Medicine, UCSF Health, Duke Health
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Military and Federal Hospitals
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, Tripler Army Medical Center
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is exceptionally high, with mean annual earnings of $450,810.
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You work on cases that are genuinely life-changing for children and their families, not routine office work.
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The role uses a very narrow, advanced skill set, so your expertise is hard to replace.
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You often lead the care team in the operating room, which gives the job a high level of professional autonomy.
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There is room for teaching and research, especially because this occupation includes work on surgical techniques and outcomes.
Challenges
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The training path is long and demanding: a doctoral or professional degree plus internship/residency, and usually more subspecialty training after that.
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The job has a tiny labor market, with only about 1,050 current jobs and projected employment staying at about 1.1 thousand in 2024 and 2034.
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Growth is weak at 1.5%, and annual openings are essentially zero, so entry into the field is highly competitive.
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The work cannot be done remotely in any meaningful way because surgery, exams, and operating room oversight all happen in person.
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The stakes are high every day; mistakes can affect a child’s development, recovery, and long-term health, which makes the stress and liability significant.
Career Progression
Surgical Resident
0-5 years
$65K-$90K
Learns operative basics, assists in surgery, and builds the judgment needed for independent pediatric work.
Pediatric Surgery Fellow
5-7 years
$90K-$120K
Focuses on complex pediatric cases under close supervision while sharpening subspecialty technique.
Pediatric Surgeon THIS ROLE
7-15 years
$420K-$500K
Independently evaluates children, performs surgery, and coordinates care with families and other specialists.
Senior Pediatric Surgeon
15-20 years
$500K-$620K
Handles the hardest cases, mentors younger surgeons, and often takes on leadership in the operating room.
Division Chief / Program Director
20+ years
$620K-$780K
Leads a pediatric surgery service, manages staffing and standards, and often balances clinical work with teaching or research.
Education Paths
Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
This is the core degree path for the field, followed by surgical training after graduation.
General surgery residency
After medical school, most future pediatric surgeons complete years of hands-on residency training before subspecializing.
Pediatric surgery fellowship
This subspecialty training is the step that turns a general surgeon into a pediatric surgery specialist.
Key Skills
Technical
Pediatric surgical planning & operative decision-making 98%
Open, laparoscopic & minimally invasive surgical technique 95%
Preoperative risk assessment & diagnostic interpretation 93%
Anatomy, physiology & congenital anomaly knowledge 92%
Sterile field, OR safety & surgical instrumentation 89%
Epic, Cerner & electronic health record documentation 84%
Multidisciplinary consult coordination with anesthesia and specialty teams 82%
Soft Skills
Clear communication with familiesCalm judgment under pressureLeadership in the operating roomAttention to detailEmpathyProblem-solving Job Outlook and Trends
+1.5%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
0K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 1.1K to 1.1 K over the next decade, representing 1.5% growth. Around 0 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.