Also called: Plastic Surgeon
Rebuilds and reshapes the body after injury, cancer, burns, or birth defects, and does cosmetic surgery.
One day reconstructs a breast after cancer, the next repairs a child's cleft lip or reattaches a severed finger under a microscope. Cosmetic procedures like nose reshaping fill other days.
BLS top-codes many physician wages; figures are estimates for attending physicians after residency (residents earn about $65k-$80k while training).
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 14 years after high school. Bachelor's, medical school, then a 6-year plastic surgery residency.
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Pre-Medicine, Studio Art.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. 3D scans and AI help plan reconstructions; the delicate surgery and the patient's trust remain human skill.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Studio art or sculpture, Anatomy & physiology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1249.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.