Surgeon Salary in Ohio (2026)
The average Surgeon in Ohio earns around $485,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $318,901/year ($26,575/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $318,901 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $26,575 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $12,265 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $153/hr |
Federal Tax | $132,884 |
State Tax | $12,178 |
FICA Taxes | $21,037 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 34.25% |
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Surgeon Salary Ranges in Ohio
Not all Surgeons earn the same — not even close
OH surgeon comp clusters around three regional ecosystems plus the township-vs-city RITA / CCA residence-choice math. Northeast Ohio: Cleveland Clinic Foundation + University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center + Rainbow Babies & Children's + MetroHealth (Trauma I). Cincinnati: Cincinnati Children's + UC Health + The Christ Hospital + TriHealth + Mercy Health. Central Ohio: OhioHealth + Ohio State Wexner Medical Center + Nationwide Children's + Mount Carmel. Cosmetic plastic surgery cluster on Cleveland Beachwood / Cincinnati Hyde Park / Columbus Dublin.
Cleveland Clinic Cardiothoracic Surgery
$565,000–$835,000 + RVU + call
Cleveland Clinic Heart Vascular & Thoracic Institute — #1 US ranked 30+ years
Cincinnati Children's Pediatric Surgical Subspecialty
$485,000–$745,000 + RVU + research
Top-3 US pediatric hospital · 403(b) + 457(b) + research time + PSLF-qualifying
Nationwide Children's / OSU Wexner Pediatric Surgical
$465,000–$705,000 + RVU + research
Top-10 US peds · OSU academic affiliation · Columbus growth market
Cleveland Clinic / UH Neurosurgery
$595,000–$865,000 + RVU + call
Cleveland academic neurosurgery · top-tier US program depth · 403(b) + 457(b)
Beachwood / Hyde Park / Dublin Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon
$525,000–$1.3M+ owner draw
Cash-pay aesthetic · S-corp + Solo 401(k) + cash-balance · Cleveland / Cincinnati / Columbus cluster
OhioHealth / OSU Wexner Cardiothoracic + Surgical Oncology
$485,000–$725,000 + RVU + faculty
Central OH academic + community · 403(b) + 457(b) + Nationwide Children's pediatric
UC Health / Christ Hospital Cardiothoracic + Orthopedic
$475,000–$715,000 + RVU + call
Cincinnati academic + community surgical · 403(b) + 457(b)
Anesthesiology + Pain Management (OH private group)
$385,000–$555,000 + group share
CRNA-supervision · ASC partnership at outpatient surgical centers
New-Attending General Surgery (year 1–3)
$365,000–$465,000 guarantee
Hospital-employed entry · cash-balance plan begins year 2–3 post-attending
Worth knowing: OH-specific layers: Cleveland Clinic Foundation operates a salaried-group employment model ( base + group productivity, no fee-for-service) — different from Cincinnati / Columbus private-practice norms. RITA + CCA local Earned Income Tax 1.5-2.5% is the residence-choice math. OH conforms to federal pre-tax / / FSA. OH retirement income credit caps at $200/year — meaningfully less generous than PA / IL full exemption. No MICRA-style cap — malpractice $50K-$130K for high-risk subspecialty.
Surgical comp levers, RITA / CCA local tax, and the Cleveland Clinic salaried-group model
#1
Cleveland Clinic Cardiology — ranked #1 US 30+ consecutive years
$200
OH retirement income credit cap — meaningfully less generous than PA / IL full exemption
0% / 2.5%
Township vs Columbus / Cleveland / Akron RITA local EIT — residence choice = $7K-$15K/yr at attending comp
OH surgeon RVU compensation parallels PA / IL — $55-$75 per work-RVU above threshold. High-volume orthopedic + cardiothoracic surgeons at Cleveland Clinic / UH / OhioHealth / UC Health clear 12,000-15,000 work-RVU/year ($650K-$950K combined comp before ASC). Call coverage at MetroHealth Trauma I / OhioHealth / UC Health Level I trauma adds $1,500-$5,000/24-hour shift. Combined federal + OH + Medicare marginal at $700K is ~42-44% — meaningfully lower than CA's 50-54% or NY+NYC's 50-53%. Township residence (0% RITA / CCA local) saves $7K-$15K/year vs Columbus / Cleveland / Akron 2.5% on $400-700K attending comp.
Cleveland Clinic Foundation salaried-group model is structurally distinctive. CCF surgeons are with base + group-practice productivity bonus (NOT individual RVU) — predictable income, no daily volume pressure, full benefits + + structured pension. Many CCF surgeons report this as the deliberate trade-off vs private-practice $200-400K/year additional ceiling: research time, academic appointment, fellowship pipeline, Cleveland Clinic Innovations equity opportunity. eligibility at CCF / UH / MetroHealth / Cincinnati Children's / UC Health / OhioHealth / OSU Wexner / Nationwide Children's / Akron Children's = $0 tax-free $300K-$500K student loan forgiveness.
ASC partnership in OH operates at substantial scale — Cincinnati / Columbus / Cleveland metropolitan ASC density. Buy-in $200K-$1.5M (Stark-Law fair-market value) generates $80K-$400K/year facility-fee distribution on top of clinical comp, typically as distribution or partnership . Cincinnati Mason + Cleveland Beachwood + Columbus Dublin orthopedic / GI / pain / ophthalmologic / cosmetic plastic ASC partnership equity sales to PE consolidator (KKR / Blackstone / Welsh Carson) 2022-2026 realize $500K-$3M+ partner capital gains. OH conforms to federal Section 1202 — federal $10M exclusion preserved at OH state level.
OH malpractice premium for high-risk surgical specialties (neurosurgery / cardiothoracic / OB-Gyn) runs $50K-$130K/year — mid-tier US (between TX HB 4 capped $25K-$60K and IL no-cap $80K-$200K). OH does NOT have a MICRA-style cap on non-economic damages. Tail coverage on group / partnership separation $40K-$200K. Cash-balance + Solo stack at OH 1099 / surgeon: same federal architecture — $270K-$370K/year pre-tax shelter at age 50+. The OH-specific friction at retirement: OH retirement-income credit caps at $200/year, so most retirement distributions are taxable at flat 0-3.5% OH. Many late-career OH surgeons execute relocation-to-PA (full retirement exemption + 3.07% flat + cheap property) at retirement; for $1M+ pre-tax balances the math saves $150K-$300K in lifetime state tax.
Ohio surgeon economics — Cleveland / Cincinnati / Columbus + cost-of-living arbitrage
Cleveland surgeon market: Cleveland Clinic Foundation (75K employees, salaried-group) + University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center + Rainbow Babies & Children's + MetroHealth (Trauma I) + Akron Children's + Akron General (CCF Akron). West Side housing in Westlake / Avon / Bay Village ($500-850K) for CCF main campus 25-min commute; East Side in Solon / Hudson / Beachwood / Pepper Pike ($450-750K) for UH + CCF East Side network access. Lake-effect winters Nov-March affect equipment + commutes. Beachwood cosmetic plastic surgery cluster operates the regional aesthetic market.
Cincinnati surgeon market: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (perennially top-3 US peds) + UC Health (academic, University of Cincinnati) + The Christ Hospital + TriHealth + Mercy Health. Workforce housing in Mason / Wyoming / Hyde Park / Indian Hill ($450K-$1.5M) for CCH + UC commute, or Boone County KY (cross-river) for KY tax structure arbitrage. Cincinnati 1.8% local tax meaningfully lower than Columbus / Cleveland 2.5%. Hyde Park cosmetic plastic surgery cluster is the regional aesthetic market.
Columbus surgeon market: OhioHealth (~16 hospitals central Ohio) + Ohio State Wexner Medical Center (academic, OSU College of Medicine) + Nationwide Children's Hospital (top-10 US peds) + Mount Carmel Health (Trinity Health affiliate). Workforce housing in Dublin / Powell / Westerville / New Albany / Bexley ($500K-$1.5M) for top-tier suburban schools at 25-35 min commute. Delaware County township residence (0% RITA / CCA local) is the structural early-career tax win. Columbus is OH's structural growth market — population growing ~2% annually, sustained surgical demand.
OH late-career retirement: OH retirement income credit caps at $200/year — meaningfully less generous than PA's full exemption (residents 59½+) or IL's full exemption (any age). For a senior OH surgeon retiring with $300K+ of + cash-balance + pension, OH state tax burden = $9K-$11K/year. Many late-career OH surgeons execute relocation-to-PA / FL / NC at retirement — for $1M+ pre-tax balances, lifetime state tax savings $150K-$300K. Some senior OH surgeons stay because cost-of-living + family ties + Cleveland Clinic / Cincinnati Children's emeritus appointments outweigh the marginal relocation savings.
How OH 0–3.5% + RITA/CCA local tax + Cleveland Clinic Foundation model reshape surgeon comp
OH progressive 0-3.5% with the top rate above $115K means a $700K-TC surgeon pays roughly $24K/year OH state — meaningfully cheaper than NJ progressive top 12.25% or NY+NYC 14.776%. The structural OH item every surgeon works around is local RITA / CCA Earned Income Tax. Columbus 2.5%, Cleveland 2.5%, Cincinnati 1.8%, Akron 2.5%; township residents in unincorporated Franklin / Delaware / Hamilton / Cuyahoga County typically 0%. A $700K-TC surgeon living in Columbus pays ~$17.5K/year additional EIT; Delaware County township residence saves the $17.5K + buys top-tier suburban schools (Olentangy, New Albany).
eligibility is broad: Cleveland Clinic Foundation, University Hospitals, MetroHealth, Cincinnati Children's, UC Health, The Christ Hospital, OhioHealth, OSU Wexner, Nationwide Children's, Akron Children's all qualify. 10 years of qualifying payments → tax-free $300K-$500K student loan forgiveness. Cleveland Clinic Foundation salaried-group model + CCF retirement-plan structure + PSLF + + Cleveland Clinic Innovations equity opportunity together create a distinctive long-term retirement architecture that's structurally hard to replicate elsewhere.
OH retirement income credit caps at $200/year — meaningfully less generous than PA / IL full exemption. For a senior OH surgeon retiring with $300K+ of + cash-balance + pension distribution, OH state tax burden = $9K-$11K/year ($230K-$330K cumulative over 25-30 years). RITA / CCA cities typically exempt retirement income from local EIT. Many senior OH surgeons execute relocation-to-PA (full retirement exemption + 3.07% flat) at retirement for partner-tier comp.
OH conforms to federal Section 1202 — federal $10M exclusion preserved at OH state level. OH does NOT have a MICRA-style cap on non-economic damages — malpractice $50K-$130K for high-risk subspecialty. Cash-balance + Solo stack: $270K-$370K/year pre-tax shelter at age 50+. OH cap workaround via PTET election available — saves $4K-$9K/year for surgeon S-corp / partnership at $400-800K net SE income.
Cleveland Clinic Innovations equity is the OH-specific late-career wealth-build. CCF retains a portion of patent / device / startup equity from clinician-inventors developing technology during faculty appointment. Distributions occur through patent licensing and startup IPO / acquisition events. PE consolidator pressure has reached OH ASC partnership market — partner equity sales 2022-2026 realize $500K-$3M+ at federal 23.8% + 3.5% OH layer.
- →Township residence (0% RITA / CCA) saves $7K-$15K/year vs Columbus / Cleveland / Akron 2.5% on $400-700K attending comp
- →Cash-balance + Solo stack at 1099 / = $270K-$370K/year pre-tax shelter at age 50+
- → at Cleveland Clinic / UH / MetroHealth / Cincinnati Children's / OhioHealth / OSU Wexner / Nationwide Children's = $0 tax-free $300K-$500K student loan forgiveness
- →Cleveland Clinic / UC Health / OhioHealth ASC partnership equity — facility-fee distribution flows non-, may preserve partial Section 199A
- →OH PTET election for / partnership = federal -cap workaround saving $4K-$9K/year on $400-800K net SE income
- →Late-career relocation to PA (full retirement exemption + 3.07% flat) at retirement saves $150K-$300K lifetime state tax for $1M+ pre-tax balance
- →Cleveland Clinic Innovations equity tracking — patent licensing + startup acquisition events are the distinctive CCF clinician-investor wealth-build
Three Ohio surgeon markets — what each one looks like
OH surgeon comp varies by employer cluster + Cleveland Clinic salaried-group vs Cincinnati / Columbus private-practice + RITA / CCA local-tax math. Three regional markets with distinctive employment models.
Cleveland (Cleveland Clinic Foundation / UH / MetroHealth / Akron Children's)
CCF salaried $565K-$835K · UH academic $485K-$745K · MetroHealth Trauma I premiumCleveland Clinic Foundation = #1 US cardiology 30+ years + top-tier digestive / urology / neurology / rheumatology, 75K employees, salaried-group model. University Hospitals + Rainbow Babies & Children's academic counterweight; MetroHealth Trauma I + safety-net. Workforce housing Westlake / Avon / Bay Village (West Side) or Solon / Hudson / Beachwood / Pepper Pike (East Side) at $450-850K with top suburban schools.
Cleveland Clinic Foundation salaried-group model is materially different from private practice — predictable income, no productivity-driven daily volume pressure, full benefits + + structured pension. Many CCF surgeons choose deliberately for lifestyle / academic appointment / research access trade-off vs higher private-practice ceiling.
Cincinnati (Cincinnati Children's / UC Health / Christ Hospital / TriHealth)
CCH peds $485K-$745K · UC Health $465K-$685K · Hyde Park cosmetic owner $525K-$1.3M+Cincinnati Children's perennially top-3 US pediatric hospital with strong cardiology / oncology / orthopedic / GI subspecialty depth. UC Health (University of Cincinnati academic affiliate) + The Christ Hospital + TriHealth + Mercy Health round out market. Mason / Wyoming / Hyde Park / Indian Hill ($450K-$1.5M) for established surgeon ownership; Boone County KY (cross-river) cluster for KY tax arbitrage.
Cincinnati 1.8% local tax meaningfully lower than Columbus / Cleveland 2.5%. CCH pediatric subspecialty pipeline is the marquee Cincinnati surgical career path — top-tier US program at OH cost-of-living rather than NJ / NY / MA equivalent.
Columbus (OhioHealth / OSU Wexner / Nationwide Children's / Mount Carmel)
OSU Wexner academic $485K-$745K · OhioHealth community $465K-$685K · Nationwide Children's peds $465K-$725KColumbus is OH's fastest-growing metro — population +2%/year, sustained surgical demand. OhioHealth (~16 hospitals central Ohio), OSU Wexner Medical Center (academic, top-tier cardiothoracic + surgical oncology), Nationwide Children's (top-10 US peds), Mount Carmel (Trinity Health). Workforce housing Dublin / Powell / Westerville / New Albany / Bexley ($500K-$1.5M) for top suburban schools.
Delaware County township residence (0% RITA / CCA) is the structural early-career win — top-tier Olentangy / New Albany school districts at 0% local + 30 min commute to OSU Wexner / Nationwide Children's / OhioHealth flagship. Columbus growth dynamic supports OH's strongest surgical career arc on per-capita-demand basis.
The Ohio surgeon career arc — residency to retirement
Years 1-9 (med school + residency + fellowship). 4 years med school + 5-9 years residency + 1-3 years fellowship. PGY1 ACGME stipend at OH programs $65K-$85K. Cleveland Clinic / UH / OSU Wexner / UC / Cincinnati Children's / OhioHealth residencies all -qualifying. Most OH surgical residents finish with $300K-$500K federal student loan debt; PSLF at non-profit academic hospital = $0 tax-free forgiveness over 10 years.
Years 1-3 attending ($365K-$465K). Hospital-employed at Cleveland Clinic / UH / UC Health / OhioHealth / OSU Wexner / Nationwide Children's, or $345K-$425K + revenue-sharing at private group. Most new attendings buy $500-850K starter home in West/East Cleveland suburbs / Cincinnati Mason / Columbus Dublin within year 1-2 — much earlier than CA / NY equivalent. Township residence (0% RITA / CCA) is the early-career tax win.
Years 4-10 attending ($485K-$725K TC). Subspecialty premium: ortho $585K, cardiothoracic $695K, neurosurgery $755K. Cleveland Clinic / UH / UC / OhioHealth / private-group partnership buy-in ($200K-$1.5M) typically year 3-5. ASC partnership equity ($150K-$500K) typically year 5-7. Cash-balance + Solo max age 45-55 = $270K-$370K/year shelter. By year 10 mid-career, OH surgeon net worth typically $2.5M-$8M.
Years 10+ (senior partner / department chair / late career). $665K-$1.2M+ TC. Cleveland Clinic / UC Health / OSU Wexner Department Chair $750K-$1.2M with + . Beachwood / Hyde Park / Dublin cosmetic plastic owner-operator $800K-$1.3M owner draw. PE consolidator exits realize $500K-$3M+ capital gain. OH retirement-income credit cap at $200/year drives most senior surgeons toward late-career relocation evaluation; PA (full retirement exemption + 3.07%) is the dominant adjacent option for Cleveland-area surgeons. By mid-60s, typical OH retiree liquid net worth $5M-$15M+.
Where Ohio surgeons actually live
OH surgeon housing weights schools + commute + practice location + RITA / CCA residence-choice math. Most under-45 surgeons buy single-family in suburban metro; senior partners + Department Chair tier upgrade to premium primary residence near practice. Township residence (0% RITA / CCA) is the structural early-career tax choice for $400-700K attending comp.
Westlake / Bay Village (Cleveland West)
Cleveland Clinic main campus 25 min · top schools · $500-850K · lake-effect winters
Solon / Hudson (Cleveland East)
UH + Cleveland Clinic East · top-tier schools · $450-750K · 0% local in select townships
Mason / Indian Hill (Cincinnati)
Cincinnati Children's + UC Health access · top schools · $450K-$1.5M · 1.8% local
Boone County KY (Cincinnati cross-river)
KY tax arbitrage · Cincinnati hospital commute · $400-650K · cross-river structural
Dublin / New Albany (Columbus)
OSU Wexner + OhioHealth + Nationwide Children's · top schools · $500-900K
Delaware County townships (Columbus)
0% RITA / CCA local tax · 30 min downtown · $450-650K · structural tax win
OH cost-of-living arbitrage is what surgeons describe most consistently — a $750K Solon or Mason home is genuinely lifestyle-equivalent to a $2M+ Bay Area equivalent at attending tier. Most senior OH surgeons evaluate late-career relocation to PA / FL / NC for retirement-tax structure; many stay in-state because family ties + cost-of-living + Cleveland Clinic / Cincinnati Children's emeritus appointments outweigh the marginal savings.
Is this the right move?
Ohio for surgeons — quietly world-class with cost-of-living arbitrage
Working in your favor
- +Cleveland Clinic Foundation = #1 US cardiology 30+ years + top-tier multi-specialty academic medicine
- +Cincinnati Children's = perennially top-3 US pediatric hospital
- +Nationwide Children's Columbus = top-10 US peds + OSU Wexner academic affiliation
- +Cost-of-living arbitrage is among the best in US surgical practice — $750K homes vs $2M+ Bay Area equivalents
- +Township residence (0% RITA / CCA) saves $7K-$15K/year vs Columbus / Cleveland / Akron 2.5% on attending comp
- +Cleveland Clinic Innovations equity opportunity = distinctive clinician-investor wealth-build mechanism
Worth knowing before you sign
- −RITA / CCA local tax 1.5-2.5% in major cities adds $7K-$15K/year for big-city residents at attending comp
- −OH retirement income credit caps at $200/year — meaningfully less generous than PA / IL full exemption
- −Lake-effect winters Nov-March affect Cleveland operations and lifestyle
- −Cleveland Clinic Foundation salaried-group model caps comp upside vs private practice $200-400K/year additional ceiling
- −Healthcare IS SSTB — Section 199A QBI eliminated above $553K MFJ
- −No MICRA-style cap on non-economic damages — malpractice $50K-$130K for high-risk subspecialty
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