Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 15, 2026
The Transition to an Anterior-Based Muscle Sparing Approach Improves Early Postoperative Function but is Associated with a Learning Curve
Published on: September 7, 2022
The Association Between Academic Promotion and Lifetime Salary Compensation in Orthopaedic Surgery
Jason Silvestre1, James D Kang, Robert A Ravinsky
1From the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (Silvestre, Ravinsky, Lawrence, and Reitman), the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA (Kang), the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (Kelly), the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (LaPorte), and the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (Harris).
Introduction:
There are limited studies on the financial implications of promotion for orthopaedic faculty at academic institutions in the United States. This study quantifies the association between academic promotion and financial compensation for orthopaedic faculty.
Methods:
Annual salary benchmarks were analyzed from the 2022 Association of American Medical Colleges Faculty Salary Report for faculty at departments of orthopaedic surgery in US medical schools. Primary outcomes were annual and lifetime salary compensation. Financial models for lifetime salary compensation were created using benchmarks for time to promotion in academic surgical careers. Nonparametric tests were used to compare median annual compensation and salary compensation across academic ranks.
Results:
Of 752 academic orthopaedic faculty, 350 sports medicine surgeons (47%), 144 hand surgeons (19%), 143 trauma surgeons (19%), and 115 spine surgeons (15%) were included in this study. Most were assistant professors (47%), associate professors (28%), and professors (24%). Across each orthopaedic subspecialty, median annual salary increased at higher academic ranks ( P < 0.05). The greatest increase in lifetime salary compensation occurred during the promotion from assistant professor to associate professor (median = $2,265,444, 13% increase), while the lowest impact was observed in the promotion from associate professor to full professor (median = $179,028, 1% increase; P = 0.040). The greatest increase in lifetime salary compensation from assistant professor to associate professor occurred in sports medicine (18% increase, $3,040,752). Spine surgery had the greatest increase in lifetime salary compensation from associate professor to full professor (22% increase, $4,329,198).
Discussion:
There is notable financial benefit associated with academic promotion in orthopaedic surgery. This financial benefit is greatest from assistant to associate professor. Departmental leaders must be cognizant of these trends to recruit quality talent.
