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Compensation data for general surgery paint two pictures, depending on which general surgeons you're considering. For traditional general surgeons, compensation is increasing modestly, but at $306,115 per year, according to the 2007 MGMA Physician Compensation and Production Survey, it is one of the lowest levels of any surgical specialty. General surgery subspecialists (e.g., general surgeons who have fellowshipped in hand, pediatric, vascular, trauma surgery, etc.), on the other hand, earn significantly more and are seeing bigger year-to-year increases.