General Surgery Locum Compensation Benchmarks

Based on BLS OEWS public data and CMS geographic adjustment factors, processed through a locum-adjusted model, calibrated and validated against publicly posted rates and observations.

General Surgery — National Benchmark

Locum market rates, 2026.

P25

$302/hr

Median

$350/hr

P75

$408/hr

P90

$464/hr

Regional Estimates

General Surgery hourly rate benchmarks by region and setting
Region	Setting	P25	Median	P75
Northeast	Urban Hospital	$294/hr	$341/hr	$397/hr
Northeast	Rural Critical Access Rural / CAH	$256/hr	$296/hr	$346/hr
Midwest	Urban Hospital	$344/hr	$399/hr	$465/hr
Midwest	Rural Critical Access Rural / CAH	$299/hr	$347/hr	$405/hr
South	Urban Hospital	$371/hr	$430/hr	$502/hr
South	Rural Critical Access Rural / CAH	$323/hr	$374/hr	$437/hr
Southeast	Urban Hospital	$320/hr	$371/hr	$432/hr
Southeast	Rural Critical Access Rural / CAH	$278/hr	$323/hr	$376/hr
West	Urban Hospital	$278/hr	$322/hr	$375/hr
West	Rural Critical Access Rural / CAH	$242/hr	$280/hr	$326/hr
Southwest	Urban Hospital	$343/hr	$397/hr	$463/hr
Southwest	Rural Critical Access Rural / CAH	$298/hr	$346/hr	$403/hr

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Market Overview

General Surgery is among the highest-revenue locum specialties — a rural surgeon generates $1–2.7 million in annual hospital revenue (ACS, 2024), and surgical cases represent a substantial share of total hospital revenue. Rural critical access surgical coverage is one of the fastest-growing locum categories nationally, driven by the inability of small hospitals to sustain full-time employed surgeons. Endoscopy capability (EGD, colonoscopy) is increasingly required at CAH assignments and meaningfully expands the available assignment pool.

Rural critical access surgical coverage is among the fastest-growing locum categories nationally
Laparoscopic and robotic surgery capability is expected at most urban assignments
Trauma surgery crossover (ATLS) expands rural CAH eligibility and rate ceiling significantly
Endoscopy capability (colonoscopy, EGD) opens additional procedure revenue at rural sites

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Key Leverage Points

Urban Hospital

Robotic surgery certification (da Vinci) is standard at most urban assignments — confirm equipment availability before committing
Trauma activation capability (ATLS) opens surgical trauma coverage at Level II/III centers
Endoscopy (EGD and colonoscopy) is often bundled into urban GS assignments — confirm procedure volume and rate
Block scheduling (7+ consecutive days) typically commands a higher daily rate than per-diem; negotiate before the schedule is set

Rural Critical Access

A rural surgeon generates $1–2.7M in annual hospital revenue (ACS, 2024) — your leverage is structural, not incidental
Endoscopy capability is a near-requirement at rural CAH assignments and should be priced separately from base surgical coverage
24-hour call coverage ($3,800–5,500/day) is the highest-leverage line item to negotiate at rural sites
Travel, housing, and malpractice tail are standard inclusions — confirm all three in writing before accepting

Contract Review Checklist

Items to review carefully before signing

OR block time not guaranteed — confirm minimum case volume or block hours in writing
Scope of surgical coverage undefined — clarify whether you cover trauma, OB C-sections, or only elective general surgery
24-hour call rate not separated from base hourly — negotiate call as a distinct line item
Malpractice tail not included — confirm who pays, policy limits, and whether tail survives termination
Endoscopy scope bundled at base surgical rate — if covering endoscopy, price it separately
Credentialing timeline not tied to rate start — delays before first shift cost you money

General Surgery Negotiation Toolkit

Word-for-word scripts for every recruiter objection, 50-state rate tables at P25/50/75/90, leverage points by credential and shift type, and a contract red flag checklist. $99 one-time.