How much does a Surgeon make in Pennsylvania?

BLS publishes no Pennsylvania figure; the US average Surgeon pay is $373,930 a year (BLS, May 2025). On that pay in Pennsylvania, after federal taxes, FICA, and Pennsylvania state taxes, your estimated take-home pay is approximately $250,014 annually ($20,835/month).

What is the take-home pay for a Surgeon in Pennsylvania?

On a $373,930 salary in Pennsylvania, your take-home pay is approximately $250,014/year or $20,835/month. Federal tax: $94,010. State tax: $11,480. FICA: $18,426.

Is $373,930 a good Surgeon salary?

$373,930 is the BLS US average Surgeon pay; BLS publishes no Pennsylvania figure (BLS, May 2025). The middle 50% in the US earn between $134,850 and $511,420.

How do Pennsylvania taxes affect Surgeon salaries?

Pennsylvania levies state income tax on top of federal taxes. Your estimated state tax on $373,930 is $11,480. Your total effective tax rate is approximately 33.1%.

What are the career growth prospects for Surgeons?

In the US, the top 10% earn over $655,320 and the bottom 10% under $80,320 (BLS, May 2025). 3% growth projected 2022-2032 (slower than average) overall — but specific subspecialties (cardiothoracic, neurosurgery, plastic, transplant, pediatric subspecialty) face severe shortage with 8-15 year supply lag from training pipeline. Aging Boomer demographic = sustained surgical volume through 2035+. AI/robotics augment but do not replace operative judgment in the 10-year window. Related roles include: Anesthesiologist, Orthopedic Surgeon, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Neurosurgeon, Plastic Surgeon, Vascular Surgeon, General Surgeon, Trauma Surgeon, Transplant Surgeon, Pediatric Surgical Subspecialist, Surgical Oncologist.

How can a Surgeon in Pennsylvania reduce their tax bill?

Maximize your 401(k) contribution ($24,500 in 2026) to reduce taxable income. An HSA ($4,400 single / $8,750 family) adds further pre-tax savings. These strategies can save thousands annually — use our calculator to see your exact savings.

Healthcare

Surgeon Salary in Pennsylvania (2026)

Average Surgeon pay in the US

$373,930/year

≈ $180/hour before tax

BLS publishes no Pennsylvania figure; US average shown.

Source: BLS, May 2025 · Surgeons, All Other

After tax (single filer)

$250,014/year

$20,835/month · effective tax rate 33.14%

Federal $94,010
State $11,480
FICA $18,426
Take-home

Pay by role in Pennsylvania

Orthopedic Surgeon (Philadelphia metro)BLS · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · middle 50%$278,800–$612,060
AnesthesiologistBLS · middle 50%$450,320–$530,450

See the full tax breakdown

Category	Amount
Annual Take-Home Pay	$250,014
Monthly Take-Home Pay	$20,835
Biweekly Take-Home Pay	$9,616
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year	$120/hr
Federal Tax	$94,010
State Tax	$11,480
FICA Taxes	$18,426
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary	33.14%

Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

Pennsylvania is structurally one of the best US surgeon markets nobody mentions in a CA / NY comparison. Penn Medicine (HUP / Pennsylvania Hospital / Penn Presbyterian), Jefferson Health, Temple, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (top-3 US peds), Fox Chase, and Rothman Orthopaedic Institute (top US private orthopedic group) anchor Philadelphia academic + community surgical depth. UPMC dominates western PA with 40+ hospitals + integrated payer-provider model. PA flat 3.07% + full retirement-income exemption (residents 59½+) makes the late-career math meaningfully better than NJ (10.75% top) or NY (14.776%). The catch is local Earned Income Tax — Philadelphia 3.735% resident wage tax + Pittsburgh 3% NPT — making suburban township residence the structural arbitrage. PA MCARE Fund is the state-level malpractice backstop adding ~$8K-$25K/year to base premiums.

Not all Surgeons earn the same — not even close

PA surgeon comp clusters around three regional ecosystems plus the cross-NJ-PA arbitrage path. Philadelphia academic + community: Penn Medicine + Jefferson + Temple + CHOP + Fox Chase + Rothman Orthopaedic + Main Line Health. Pittsburgh: UPMC (largest non-government PA employer at ~95K) + Allegheny Health Network + St. Clair. Central PA: Penn State Health Hershey + Geisinger Danville + Lancaster General Health (Penn Medicine affiliate). Cosmetic plastic surgery cluster on Philadelphia Main Line / Center City + Pittsburgh Sewickley / Fox Chapel.

Orthopedic Surgeon (Philadelphia metro)

$278,800–$612,060

Top US private orthopedic group · partnership + ASC equity · 5–15% buy-in

Source: BLS May 2025 · Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · middle 50%

Anesthesiologist

$450,320–$530,450

CRNA-supervision model · ASC partnership at outpatient surgical centers

Source: BLS May 2025 · Anesthesiologists · Pennsylvania · middle 50%

Worth knowing: PA-specific layers: PA flat 3.07% + full retirement-income exemption (residents 59½+) is among the best Northeast retirement structures — meaningfully better than NJ ($100K cap below $150K ) or NY ($20K pension/IRA exclusion). PA MCARE Fund requires $500K primary + $500K MCARE excess + assessment ~$8K-$25K/year for high-risk subspecialty. PA does NOT conform to federal pre-tax (PA + NJ + CA only). Cross-NJ-PA arbitrage: PA-resident NJ-employed surgeon captures PA flat 3.07% + retirement exemption via reciprocity.

Surgical comp levers, MCARE assessment, and PA's flat 3.07% retirement-friendly stack

3.07%

PA flat state rate + 0% local for township residents — structurally cheaper than NJ (10.75% top) / NY+NYC (14.776% top)

PA tax on retirement income for residents 59½+ — full exemption, no AGI cap (rare in Northeast)

$8K–$25K

PA MCARE assessment for high-risk surgical subspecialty + base commercial premium $35K-$95K

PA surgeon RVU compensation parallels CA / NY — $55-$75 per work-RVU above threshold. High-volume orthopedic + cardiothoracic surgeons at Penn / UPMC / Jefferson clear 12,000-15,000 work-RVU/year ($700K-$1M combined comp before ASC distribution). Call coverage at HUP / Jefferson / Temple / UPMC Level I trauma adds $1,500-$5,000/24-hour shift; cardiothoracic / neurosurgery on-call premium adds $80K-$200K/year. The structural PA advantage: flat 3.07% state + 0% local for township residents. For a PA-resident-township orthopedic surgeon at $700K TC, federal + Medicare + 3.07% PA only = ~$295K combined, post-tax $405K vs CA-resident equivalent ~$385K — meaningful annual delta that compounds over career.

eligibility at Penn Medicine, Jefferson Health, Temple Health, CHOP, Fox Chase, UPMC, Allegheny Health Network, Penn State Hershey, Geisinger, Lancaster General Health (all 501(c)(3) non-profit hospital systems) = $0 tax-free $300K-$500K student loan forgiveness over 10 years post-PGY1. Pair with + dual-shelter at Penn / Jefferson / UPMC academic faculty appointment, and the academic comp gap (typically 15-25% below private practice) closes substantially. CHOP and Fox Chase pediatric subspecialty + surgical oncology faculty career arc is structurally distinctive — top-tier US programs at PA flat 3.07% rather than NY+NYC 14.776% or NJ 10.75% top rates.

Rothman Orthopaedic Institute is the marquee PA private surgical group — top US private orthopedic practice with ~225 physicians across Philadelphia + South Jersey + Florida / NYC satellite footprint. Partnership equity buy-in $200K-$1.5M generates $80K-$400K/year ASC + facility-fee distribution on top of clinical comp. PE consolidator pressure in orthopedic / GI / pain has reached PA — multiple Philadelphia + Pittsburgh group equity sales to KKR / Blackstone / Welsh Carson 2022-2026 realize $500K-$3M+ partner capital gains at federal 23.8% + 3.07% PA. Cash-balance + Solo stack: $272K-$372K/year pre-tax shelter at age 50+, with PA full retirement exemption at 59½+ on distribution.

PA MCARE Fund (Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Act, 2002) requires $500K primary commercial + $500K MCARE excess + annual assessment scaled by specialty risk. High-risk subspecialty MCARE assessment ~$8K-$25K/year + base commercial $35K-$95K = total $43K-$120K/year (mid-tier US, between TX HB 4 capped $25K-$60K and NY no-cap $80K-$200K). PA does NOT conform to federal pre-tax treatment (PA + NJ + CA only) — HSA contributions PA-state-taxable, but the absolute friction is small relative to the retirement-exemption stack.

Pennsylvania surgeon economics — Philadelphia / Pittsburgh / Hershey-Geisinger

Philadelphia surgeon market: Penn Medicine + Jefferson + Temple + CHOP + Fox Chase + Rothman Orthopaedic anchor academic + community + high-margin private surgical. Center City + University City (Penn campus) hosts academic faculty residence — high-rise condo $700K-$2.5M for younger attendings; Society Hill / Rittenhouse Square $1.2M-$5M for senior faculty + cosmetic plastic surgeon ownership tier. Main Line (Lower Merion / Haverford / Bryn Mawr / Villanova) hosts Department Chair + Rothman partner tier — single-family $1.5M-$5M+ at top public schools. Philadelphia 3.735% resident wage tax is the structural penalty for city residence; suburban PA township residence (no local EIT) saves $20K-$45K/year on $600K-$1.2M TC. Cherry Hill / Voorhees / Princeton NJ cross-river also structural for PA-employed surgeons.

Pittsburgh surgeon market: UPMC (95K employees, integrated payer-provider) dominates with cardiothoracic + transplant + neurosurgery scale; Allegheny Health Network + St. Clair Health + Excela Health round out community. Sewickley / Fox Chapel / Mt. Lebanon / Upper St. Clair host established Pittsburgh surgeon ownership at $750K-$3M. Pittsburgh 3% NPT (Net Profits Tax) on resident wages + 1% commuter tax structure makes city-vs-suburban math meaningful — Mt. Lebanon (no local EIT) and Sewickley (1% local) preferred for tax + schools. Cost of living dramatically below Philadelphia: $1.5M home in Sewickley = $4M Lower Merion equivalent.

Hershey + Geisinger central PA surgeon market: Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center + Geisinger Danville (academic) + Lancaster General Health (Penn Medicine affiliate) + WellSpan Health (York) anchor central PA. Lancaster County + Hershey Township + Lebanon County host academic + community surgical faculty at $700K-$1.8M for substantial homes with land + top public schools. Lower comp ceiling than Philadelphia / Pittsburgh ($425K-$685K typical academic faculty) but housing math + 0% local EIT in most rural PA townships compounds favorably. Geisinger's integrated health-plan model parallels UPMC structure on smaller scale.

PA late-career retirement: PA full retirement-income exemption + flat 3.07% state + low property tax (1.4-1.6% effective in suburban / rural PA, vs Philadelphia 1.5-1.8%) + Pocono Mountains / Lake Wallenpaupack / Lancaster County rural retirement options make in-state retirement competitive with FL / SC. Many late-career PA surgeons stay in-state — the relocation pressure is materially lower than NJ / NY peers. Some still relocate to FL (Naples / Sarasota / Vero Beach) for partner-tier comp + cash-balance distribution; the marginal savings are smaller given PA's already-favorable retirement structure.

How PA flat 3.07% + retirement exemption + MCARE assessment reshape surgeon comp

PA flat 3.07% on wages + RVU + ASC + distribution — meaningfully cheaper than NJ's 10.75% top or NY+NYC's 14.776% top. For a PA-township surgeon at $700K TC, PA state tax ~$21K/year vs NJ-resident ~$48K or NYC-resident ~$74K (NY state + NYC). The structural retirement advantage: PA exempts pension / / IRA / Roth / cash-balance distribution + Social Security entirely for residents 59½+ with no cap. Combined federal + PA + Medicare marginal at $700K ~42-44% — 6-10 points lower than CA / NY+NYC equivalent.

Local Earned Income Tax is the residence-choice math. Philadelphia 3.735% resident / 3.425% non-resident; Pittsburgh 3% NPT resident; smaller boroughs 1-1.5%; township residents typically 0%. A $700K-TC surgeon living in Philadelphia city pays ~$27K/year additional EIT; Lower Merion (Montgomery County, no local EIT) saves the $27K + buys top-tier suburban schools. PA allows the federal deduction (only NJ and CA do not). PA has no Section 1202 exclusion, so gain is taxed at 3.07%.

PA MCARE Fund requires $500K primary + $500K MCARE excess + annual assessment ~$8K-$25K/year for high-risk subspecialty + base commercial $35K-$95K = $43K-$120K/year total (mid-tier US, between TX HB 4 capped $25K-$60K and NY no-cap $80K-$200K). PA does NOT have a MICRA-style cap on non-economic damages — large jury awards drive premium pressure similar to NY / IL.

PA cap workaround via PTET (Pass-Through Entity Tax) election since 2023 (effective 2024 tax year) — / partnership entities elect entity-level state tax payment, deductible federally without SALT cap. For a PA surgeon S-corp at $400K-$800K net: entity-level PTET 3.07% becomes federal deduction at 37% top bracket, recovering ~$4K-$9K/year. Election deadline March 15 prior year.

→Township residence (no local EIT) saves $20K-$45K/year vs Philadelphia 3.735% or Pittsburgh 3% on $600K-$1.2M TC
→Cash-balance + Solo stack at 1099 / = $272K-$372K/year pre-tax shelter at age 50+, with PA full retirement exemption at 59½+ on distribution
→ at Penn / Jefferson / Temple / CHOP / Fox Chase / UPMC / AHN / Penn State Hershey / Geisinger non-profit faculty = $0 tax-free $300K-$500K student loan forgiveness
→Rothman / UPMC / Penn ASC partnership equity — facility-fee distribution flows non-, may preserve partial Section 199A
→PA PTET election for / partnership = federal -cap workaround saving $4K-$9K/year on $400K-$800K net SE income
→Cross-NJ-PA arbitrage: PA-resident + NJ-employed captures PA flat 3.07% + retirement exemption via reciprocity-credit

Three Pennsylvania surgeon markets — what each one looks like

PA surgeon comp varies by employer cluster + subspecialty. Philadelphia academic + Rothman private + cosmetic plastic Main Line; UPMC integrated Pittsburgh; Hershey-Geisinger-Lancaster central PA academic + community.

Philadelphia (Penn Medicine / Jefferson / Temple / CHOP / Fox Chase / Rothman)

Academic faculty $485K-$835K · Rothman partner $525K-$895K + ASC · cosmetic owner $650K-$1.8M+

Penn Medicine + Jefferson + Temple academic medical centers + CHOP top-3 US peds + Fox Chase NCI cancer center + Rothman Orthopaedic Institute (top US private ortho) + Main Line Health community. Center City + University City urban; Lower Merion / Haverford / Bryn Mawr / Villanova suburban Department Chair tier.

Philadelphia 3.735% EIT is the structural penalty for city residence; suburban Lower Merion (Montgomery County, no local EIT) saves $20K-$45K/year + top public schools. Many faculty live Main Line + commute. Rothman partnership + cosmetic plastic Center City command top PA owner draw.

Pittsburgh (UPMC / Allegheny Health Network / St. Clair)

UPMC academic $545K-$885K · AHN $485K-$725K · cosmetic owner $500K-$1.2M

UPMC dominates with 40+ hospitals + 95K employees + integrated payer-provider model + transplant + cardiothoracic + neurosurgery scale. AHN + St. Clair Health + Excela round out community. Sewickley / Fox Chapel / Mt. Lebanon / Upper St. Clair host established surgeon ownership at $750K-$3M (40-60% cheaper than Lower Merion equivalent).

Pittsburgh 3% NPT resident wage tax + 1% commuter tax structure favors Mt. Lebanon (no local EIT) or Sewickley (1% local). UPMC's integrated payer-provider structure shapes comp materially differently from fee-for-service academic peers — base + RVU + payer-mix bonus.

Central PA (Penn State Hershey / Geisinger Danville / Lancaster General)

Faculty $425K-$685K + research time + 403(b) + 457(b)

Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center + Geisinger Danville + Lancaster General Health (Penn Medicine affiliate) + WellSpan Health York anchor central PA academic + community. Hershey Township + Lancaster County + Lebanon County host faculty at $700K-$1.8M for substantial homes + top public schools. Lower comp ceiling but cost-of-living math compounds favorably.

Geisinger's integrated payer-provider parallels UPMC on smaller scale + provides PA's clearest non-Philadelphia academic surgeon career arc. Many central PA surgeons combine academic faculty + + + PA full retirement exemption for genuinely strong long-term wealth-build at moderate housing cost.

The Pennsylvania 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 PA programs runs $70K-$90K. Penn / Jefferson / Temple / CHOP / UPMC / Penn State Hershey / Geisinger residencies all -qualifying. Most PA surgical residents finish with $300K-$500K federal student loan debt; PSLF at non-profit academic hospital = $0 tax-free forgiveness over 10 years post-PGY1.

Years 1-3 attending ($385K-$495K). Hospital-employed at Penn / Jefferson / Temple / UPMC / Penn State Hershey, or $360K-$465K + revenue-sharing at private group with stub-partnership track. Cash-balance plan eligibility year 2-3. Most new attendings rent Center City Philly or Pittsburgh urban year 1-2, then buy $750K-$1.5M starter home in Lower Merion / Mt. Lebanon / Hershey suburbs. Township residence (no local EIT) is the structural early-career win.

Years 4-10 attending ($525K-$785K TC). Subspecialty premium: ortho $625K, cardiothoracic $720K, neurosurgery $785K. Rothman / UPMC / Penn partnership buy-in ($200K-$1.5M) year 3-5. ASC partnership ($150K-$500K) year 5-7. Cash-balance + Solo at age 45-55 = $272K-$372K/year shelter. By year 10 mid-career, PA surgeon net worth typically $2.5M-$8M.

Years 10+ (senior partner / department chair / late career). $725K-$1.3M+ TC. Penn / UPMC / Jefferson Department Chair $850K-$1.3M; Main Line / Center City cosmetic plastic owner-operator clears $1M-$1.8M; Rothman senior partner $700K-$1.3M with ASC + practice-real-estate. PE consolidator exits realize $500K-$3M+ capital gains. PA full retirement-income exemption at 59½+ on entire distribution stream — combined with flat 3.07% during working years, career-plus-retirement state-tax burden genuinely competitive with FL / TX. Most late-career PA surgeons stay in-state; some relocate to FL for winter lifestyle. By mid-60s, typical retiree liquid net worth $7M-$20M+.

Where Pennsylvania surgeons actually live

PA surgeon housing weights schools + commute + practice location + local EIT 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 or hospital. Township residence (no local EIT) is the structural choice for PA-employed surgeons at meaningful comp.

Lower Merion / Haverford / Bryn Mawr / Villanova (Main Line)

Penn / Jefferson / Rothman commute · top-5 US public schools · Montgomery County no local EIT · $1.5M-$5M+

Center City / Society Hill / Rittenhouse Square (Philly urban)

Walk to Penn / Jefferson / Temple · cosmetic plastic cluster · 3.735% Philly EIT · $1.2M-$5M condo / townhouse

Sewickley / Fox Chapel (Pittsburgh north)

UPMC commute · 1% local EIT · top public schools · $1M-$3M single-family

Mt. Lebanon / Upper St. Clair (Pittsburgh south)

UPMC South Hills + AHN access · no local EIT · top schools · $750K-$1.8M

Hershey / Lancaster County rural townships

Penn State Hershey + Lancaster General + Geisinger · 0% local EIT · land · $700K-$1.8M for substantial homes

Cherry Hill / Voorhees NJ (cross-river to Philly)

NJ-resident PA-employed cross-state · NJ tax via reciprocity to PA · $700K-$1.5M

PA full retirement-income exemption removes the typical CA / NY / NJ relocation pressure. Most senior PA surgeons stay in-state through retirement — Pocono Mountains / Lake Wallenpaupack / Lancaster County rural retirement common; some still relocate to FL (Naples / Sarasota) for winter lifestyle but marginal savings are smaller given PA's already-favorable retirement structure.

Is this the right move?

Pennsylvania for surgeons — the Northeast retirement-friendly play

Working in your favor

+Penn Medicine + Jefferson + CHOP + Fox Chase top US academic + pediatric + cancer surgical depth
+Rothman Orthopaedic Institute = top US private orthopedic group (~225 physicians + ASC equity)
+UPMC integrated payer-provider model dominates western PA with 40+ hospitals + transplant + CT scale
+PA flat 3.07% + full retirement-income exemption (59½+) — best Northeast retirement structure
+Township residence (no local EIT) saves $20K-$45K/year vs Philadelphia 3.735% or Pittsburgh 3% on $600K-$1.2M TC
+PA PTET SALT-cap workaround saves $4K-$9K/year for S-corp / partnership surgeon at $400K-$800K net

Worth knowing before you sign

−Philadelphia 3.735% resident wage tax + Pittsburgh 3% NPT make city residence costly at attending tier
−PA MCARE Fund assessment $8K-$25K/year + base commercial premium $35K-$95K for high-risk subspecialty
−PA does NOT conform to federal pre-tax HSA at state level (PA + NJ + CA only)
−No MICRA-style cap on non-economic damages — large jury awards drive premium pressure (top-3 US along with NY / IL)
−Healthcare IS SSTB — Section 199A QBI eliminated above $553K MFJ
−Pittsburgh + central PA winter Nov-March + Philadelphia summer humidity vs Sun Belt year-round livability

Sources & Methodology

Salary figures are market estimates for Surgeons in Pennsylvania and vary by employer, specialty, seniority, and metro. Take-home math assumes a single filer with no dependents, the standard deduction, and Pennsylvania 2026 state rates. Local taxes, insurance premiums, and pre-tax contributions will move your number — run the calculator for your own situation.

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