Orthopedic Surgeon Salary by State (2025 BLS Data)

Orthopedic surgery sits at or near the top of nearly every physician compensation survey, federal data included. An aging, active population keeps joint replacement demand climbing, sports medicine feeds a steady elective pipeline, and orthopedic care generates some of the strongest downstream revenue in the hospital — which is precisely why hospitals compete so hard for it.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program (May 2025), orthopedic surgeons in the United States earn an annual mean wage of $373,570 and an annual median wage of $358,550. The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less — and it is usually the safer "typical" reference because the mean gets pulled around by the highest earners.

The table below breaks the same May 2025 BLS OEWS dataset down by state.

Rank	State	Annual mean wage
1	Missouri	$624,070
2	Minnesota	$592,220
3	Arizona	$542,140
4	Wisconsin	$535,750
5	Mississippi	$523,450
6	West Virginia	$522,050
7	Montana	$509,240
8	Georgia	$503,390
9	Washington	$464,800
10	Florida	$462,360
11	Nebraska	$456,110
12	New Hampshire	$441,460
13	Virginia	$432,290
14	Michigan	$420,390
15	Oklahoma	$419,180
16	Illinois	$409,500
17	Colorado	$374,610
18	North Carolina	$372,620
19	Massachusetts	$368,800
20	New York	$364,520
21	Pennsylvania	$363,580
22	Texas	$363,410
23	New Jersey	$347,890
24	Tennessee	$341,820
25	Arkansas	$332,090
26	Kansas	$307,370
27	Ohio	$299,520
28	Iowa	$294,930
29	Alabama	$287,150
30	Indiana	$264,890
31	California	$258,550

Figures are U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS annual mean wages, May 2025 (31 states/territories with published data; BLS suppresses states with samples too small to publish, and those are omitted rather than estimated).

What moves the numbers

Ancillaries and site-of-service decide the top end. Employed hospital orthopedists earn well; surgeons with ownership in ambulatory surgery centers, imaging, or therapy services often earn dramatically more. Subspecialty also matters — spine and adult reconstruction typically out-earn general orthopedics — and the state averages blend all of it.

Cost of living and real value. High-cost coastal markets often post strong nominal wages that buy less house and childcare than a smaller number in a lower-cost state. Compare offers after adjusting for local costs — our cost-of-living tool does exactly that, state versus state.

Supply, demand, and the rural premium. Hard-to-staff markets pay up. Rural hospitals, critical-access facilities, and fast-growing regions short on specialists routinely add premiums, sign-on bonuses, and loan repayment that never show up in a wage survey.

Setting and employer mix. A state dominated by large health systems prices differently than one with strong independent groups or academic centers. Academic roles often trade cash for protected time; employed positions trade upside for stability.

See who's hiring. Browse open Orthopedic Surgery roles on VitalPost — free for clinicians, and pay is shown on a listing whenever the employer posts it.

How to read these numbers

Treat the state figures as a well-sourced baseline, not a personal quote.

Mean vs. median. The mean (average) is pulled by the highest and lowest earners; the median better reflects a typical clinician. When the two diverge, anchor on the median and then ask where your experience, setting, and productivity would place you relative to it.

Every setting is blended. Each state figure averages academic centers, community hospitals, outpatient practices, and every experience level into one number. Your subspecialty focus, call burden, and seniority can put you well above or below it.

Wages aren't total compensation. OEWS captures wages and salaries — not sign-on bonuses, productivity (wRVU) upside, call pay, retirement contributions, malpractice coverage, or loan repayment. Two offers with the same base can differ by six figures in real value.

Owners and partners are undercounted. The survey primarily measures W-2 employees. Physicians with partnership distributions or independent-contractor income often out-earn what a wage survey shows. When you negotiate, pair this federal baseline with specialty compensation surveys and real numbers from colleagues — the BLS data tells you the neighborhood; your diligence prices the house.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
• BLS OEWS: Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric — the occupation series behind the table above.