← All careers

Healthcare

Pediatric Surgeons

Diagnose and perform surgery to treat fetal abnormalities and birth defects, diseases, and injuries in fetuses, premature and newborn infants, children, and adolescents. Includes all pediatric surgical specialties and subspecialties.

Median salary (BLS)

$559,030

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$215k – $727k

Job outlook

+2% (about average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $93,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Pediatric Surgeons

Education

Typical entry: Doctorate / professional (MD, JD, PhD)

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$90,200–$411,000

Time to qualify

8.2 yr

Renewal

$75/yr

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Doctoral / professional degree (PhD, MD, JD…)

    Degree

    Three to seven years beyond the bachelor's. PhDs are often funded with a stipend; MD and JD programs are among the most expensive.

    $50,000–$260,000 · 4 years source

  3. 3

    National & state licensure

    License

    A national board/registry exam plus a state license application (the NCLEX pattern). Exact exam and fees depend on the role and state.

    $200–$1,000 · 2 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Pediatric Surgeons" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Pediatric Surgeons

    Entry / Junior

    $215,410

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Pediatric Surgeons

    Established

    $559,030

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Pediatric Surgeons

    Senior

    $642,845

Key skills

A typical day

    Fields of study

    Any field

    Top colleges for Healthcare

    Explore all

    Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.