Decide whether surgery is needed
Examine the child and compare their history with imaging and lab results before you choose a surgical approach.
Career profile
Pediatric Surgeon
Pediatric surgeons assess whether children need surgery, perform it, and stay involved through recovery.
Cases range from fixing babies' inborn gut defects to talking anxious parents through emergency appendectomies. It takes both steady, exact hands and patience with questions.
A day in the life
Explain the operation to the family
Walk the parents through surgery and recovery, then put it in words the child understands and invite questions.
Repair a baby's bowel defect
Operate with child-sized instruments, making exact movements in a tight space to fix a defect present since birth.
Track healing at a follow-up
Examine the child, go through their lab results, and rethink the treatment plan if healing is off track.
Quick facts
Medical degree + surgical training
United States · Current requirements accessed 2026-10-09
$559,030 median
United States · May 2025
2% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Medical degree + surgical trainingThe standard pediatric general surgery path includes medical school, at least five years of general surgery residency, and two years of pediatric surgery fellowship.
Pay
$559,030 medianAnnual national median across pediatric surgical specialties; the hourly equivalent is $268.76.
Outlook
2% projected growthNational employment growth across pediatric surgical specialties over the decade.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like working out why a physical problem is happening before deciding what to do.
- You enjoy careful hand work that takes sustained concentration.
- You are willing to explain something again when a child or parent is frightened.
Things to weigh
- On-call work can interrupt evenings or sleep, and long operations can keep you on your feet for hours.
- You must stay attentive and communicate clearly when patients and families are distressed.
Where AI may help
Some pediatric surgical programs use robotic systems that let surgeons move instruments through small incisions while viewing the operating area on a screen.
What people still lead
Current robotic systems require direct human control. You guide the instruments and remain responsible for surgical decisions.
What we can’t predict yet
How much future systems will automate remains uncertain; tools must work safely across different procedures and children's different body sizes.
Pay in context
Earnings
These national wages cover pediatric surgical specialties together. They are not starting salaries or fellowship pay.
The national midpoint
The median was $559,030 a year, with an hourly equivalent of $268.76. Half of workers earned more and half earned less.
The national spread
The 10th-percentile wage was $215,410 and the 90th-percentile wage was $726,660 a year. These mark positions in the wage distribution, not a beginner-to-expert pay ladder.
A small employment market
Employment is projected to grow 2%. Average annual openings are reported as 0.0 thousand after rounding; that does not mean no surgeons will be hired.
Getting started
Build the medical foundation
Usually a bachelor's degree followed by four years of medical school.
- What the route involves
- Complete medical-school admission requirements, then study medicine and work with patients during supervised clinical rotations.
- What it can lead to
- A Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree prepares you to pursue residency training.
Train in general and pediatric surgery
At least five years of general surgery residency plus two years of pediatric surgery fellowship.
- What the route involves
- In accredited programs, learn to operate and manage surgical patients with increasing responsibility and attending-surgeon supervision.
- What it can lead to
- Meeting all training and eligibility requirements lets you enter the pediatric surgery board-certification examination process.
- What to check
- Practicing medicine requires a state medical license. Board certification is a separate specialty credential; state licensing requirements vary.
For pediatric general surgery, these are successive parts of one training path. Other pediatric surgical specialties have different specialty training.
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 a reliable rhythm between clinic, the operating room, and postoperative visits so care stays connected.
Deepen your experience
Develop a focus, such as complex intestinal conditions, and follow children over repeated visits as their needs change.
Teach and investigate
An academic career can add teaching residents and fellows or studying surgical outcomes alongside patient care.
Where you can work
Academic children's hospital
Complex newborn cases and serious injuries bring several specialties together. You may also teach trainees and contribute to research, with hospital care extending beyond scheduled clinic hours.
- Indoors
- On call
- Safety-sensitive
Hospital-linked regional specialty center
Scheduled consultations, imaging, and same-day operations can share a campus. In centers linked to a children's hospital, inpatient care is available when a child needs a longer stay.
- Indoors
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Read the American Academy of Pediatrics' [What Is a Pediatric Surgeon?](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/health-management/pediatric-specialists/Pages/what-is-a-pediatric-surgeon.aspx). Choose one condition it lists, explain the surgeon's role in plain language, and write two questions a parent might ask. Notice whether both the anatomy and the conversation interest you.
Stay safe: Keep this a reading exercise; it does not prepare you to assess symptoms or recommend treatment.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Pediatric Surgeons — 29-1243.00. 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.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. What Is a Pediatric Surgeon?. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Physicians and Surgeons — Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Surgery. General Surgery Training Requirements. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Surgery. Pediatric Surgery Training Requirements. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Board of Surgery. Pediatric Surgery. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Federation of State Medical Boards. About Physician Licensure. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Pediatric General Surgery Fellowship. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Specialty Care, King of Prussia. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Computer-Assisted Surgical Systems. Accessed 2026-10-09.