Find the source of knee pain
Ask when the pain began, examine the knee by hand and match scans to what the patient feels.
Career profile
Orthopedic Surgeon
Orthopedic surgeons treat bones, joints and the other tissue that lets your body move.
Is surgery worth it? You answer by matching a patient's story to the exam and scans, then either operate or explain why it can wait.
A day in the life
Decide on surgery with the patient
Weigh the exam findings against surgical risks, then lay out options like medicine, physical therapy or an operation.
Put in a new joint
In joint replacement surgery, prepare worn or damaged bone ends and fit implants using instruments and positioning guides.
Track healing at a check-up
At a later check-up, ask about pain and movement, feel the joint and decide if rehab should change.
Quick facts
Medical degree + residency
United States
$358,550 median
United States · May 2025
4% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Medical degree + residencyA doctoral or professional degree is the entry education level. Orthopedic preparation includes medical school and a five-year orthopedic surgery residency.
Pay
$358,550 medianAnnual employee wage, equivalent to $172.38 an hour; excludes pediatric orthopedic surgeons.
Outlook
4% projected growthAbout 400 openings a year on average; excludes pediatric orthopedic surgeons.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy connecting anatomy with how a person moves.
- You like precise work with your hands and can sustain your attention.
- You want to explain difficult choices to people who may be frightened or in pain.
Things to weigh
- Operations can mean long periods standing. Some jobs also bring overnight calls and irregular hours.
- Complications can change a patient's recovery. You need to discuss risks clearly and face difficult outcomes with patients.
Where AI may help
For some hip and knee replacements, three-dimensional plans and robotic instruments help guide bone preparation and implant placement.
What people still lead
You choose the treatment with the patient and carry out the operation, including when robotic tools assist.
What we can’t predict yet
How widely robotic assistance will spread remains uncertain: equipment costs, extra planning time, and availability affect its place in everyday work.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national figures below cover orthopedic surgeons except pediatric surgeons.
Median and national spread
The median was $358,550 a year, with a reported hourly equivalent of $172.38. The 10th-to-90th-percentile range was $84,170–$659,290 annually. These are positions in the wage distribution, not starting and senior salaries.
What changes the comparison
Experience, responsibilities, and location can affect earnings. These employee wage estimates exclude self-employed surgeons, so they do not describe the income of every practice owner.
Openings over the next decade
Employment is projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings each year on average. Openings include replacement needs as well as growth.
Getting started
Earn a medical degree
- What the route involves
- Usually complete a bachelor's degree, then four years of medical school leading to a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). Study medicine and complete clinical rotations.
- What it can lead to
- A medical degree prepares you to enter specialty residency. Admission to medical school and placement in orthopedic training require separate selection.
Train in orthopedic residency
Five years after medical school
- What the route involves
- Treat patients and develop operative skills with supervising surgeons, rotating through orthopedic specialties and taking more responsibility as your competence grows.
- What it can lead to
- Completing an accredited residency prepares you for orthopedic practice and the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) Part I examination. Passing Part I makes you board eligible, not yet board certified.
- What to check
- Independent practice requires state medical licensure. Medical education, postgraduate training, and licensing examinations are part of that process; check the state board's requirements.
The usual path has two linked steps: medical school, then orthopedic residency. Both are needed for this surgical career.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization. This path also has a credential or licensing boundary; see the requirements and limits.
Get established
Build reliable routines for coordinating operations and follow-up care. Keep clear records of your decisions and patient outcomes.
Deepen your judgment
Follow patients through recovery and review your results. Use those outcomes to refine treatment choices and the expectations you discuss before surgery.
Specialize or teach
Fellowship training can deepen your work in areas such as hand surgery, joint reconstruction, or orthopedic trauma.
- An academic role can combine patient care with teaching residents and studying surgical problems.
Where you can work
Orthopedic clinic
Your work centers on examinations and treatment conversations. Repeat visits let you follow recovery; operating days may take you to a separate surgical facility.
- Indoors
- Office
Academic hospital trauma service
Acute injuries and difficult referrals bring complex decisions. You may teach residents while caring for patients, with hospital call adding interruptions outside scheduled visits.
- Indoors
- On call
- Safety-sensitive
Outpatient surgery center
Joint replacement work involves the operating room and recovery nurses, with patients going home after recovery instead of staying on a hospital ward.
- Indoors
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Read a patient explanation of knee replacement beside a knee diagram. Mark what is replaced, then write two questions you would want answered before recommending surgery. Notice whether both the anatomy and the treatment decision interest you.
Stay safe: Keep this a reading exercise; do not diagnose yourself or someone else.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric — 29-1242.00. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates — supplied facts binding. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2025–2035 — supplied facts binding. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physicians and Surgeons. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. What Is an Orthopaedic Surgeon?. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Robotic-Assisted Joint Replacement. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. Certification. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. ABOS Board Certification. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Federation of State Medical Boards. About Physician Licensure. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Duke Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Residency Program: Rotations. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Duke Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Fellowship Programs. Accessed 2026-10-09.