Carpenter vs Surgeon Salary
Surgeons earn approximately 438.5% more than Carpenters nationally — $280,000 vs $52,000.
Carpenter vs Surgeon: salary breakdown
On a national-median basis, Surgeons out-earn Carpenters by $228,000 per year — a 438.5% gap. That works out to roughly $19,000/month or $110/hour of difference.
Important context: these are MEDIANS — the middle salary in the country. Real-world variation is wide: entry-level roles in either career may pay 25-35% below median, while senior roles or specialized niches can pay 50-100%+ above. Your specific numbers depend on experience, location, employer, and credentials.
When does the salary gap matter most?
For someone choosing between these careers, the $228,000 annual difference compounds:
- Over 10 years: ~$2,280,000 in raw salary difference
- Over 40 years: ~$9,120,000 (without raises or compounding)
- With 3% annual raises: the gap typically grows because the higher-paid role's raises are also larger in dollar terms
- With investment compounding: the $228,000/year extra invested at 7% over 40 years grows to roughly $45,372,000 — significantly more than the raw difference
But salary isn't everything. Job satisfaction, work-life balance, growth potential, and career switching costs all matter. A career you can sustain for decades beats a higher-paying one you'll burn out on.
By state and city — significant variation
National medians are starting points. Real salaries vary 30%+ by location:
- Carpenter in California ≈ $61,360 (1.18× national)
- Carpenter in Mississippi ≈ $43,680 (0.84× national)
- Surgeon in California ≈ $330,400
- Surgeon in Mississippi ≈ $235,200
Use our Carpenter salary by state pages to drill into specific locations.
Other comparisons in Trades
Other comparisons in Healthcare
Related tools
Carpenter salary by state — Surgeon salary by state — Best cities for Carpenter — Best cities for Surgeon — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.