Pay by Role
Healthcare · South Korea

Surgeon Salary in Seoul, KR

The average surgeon in Seoul, KR earns $250,791 per year — about $17,764 /mo after a simplified national tax estimate. Surgeons perform operations to treat injuries, diseases, and deformities.

Showing amounts in USD (USD default; source data is KRW). FX as of Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:02:31 +0000. Convert currencies

After tax?

$213,172/yr

~15% effective national income tax on the median. Excludes most payroll/social levies and local taxes.

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Afford rent?

$1,650/mo 1BR

About 9% of estimated take-home — ~$14,264 leftover /mo after modeled costs. Modeled, not a listing.

Cost of living calculator →

Compared with…?

% vs Seoul median (FX-adjusted abroad).

Average salary
$250,791
gross / year
Est. take-home
$213,172
~15% effective tax
Hourly equivalent
$120.45
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
vs. South Korea avg
-24%
below average

Gross salary figures come from public labour-market data. Take-home, rent, savings, inflation, and trends are simplified models for research — not payroll, listings, or immigration advice. Methodology.

Surgeon salary range in Seoul

Pay varies with experience, employer, and specialization. Here is the typical distribution for this role in Seoul, KR.

$177,40910TH$209,06125TH$250,791MEDIAN$300,84675TH$354,51990TH
Estimated pay distribution — the curve peaks at the median and widens with the pay range.
PercentileAnnual salary
10th percentile (entry)$177,409
25th percentile$209,061
Median (50th)typical$250,791
75th percentile$300,846
90th percentile (senior)$354,519

How does your salary compare?

Enter what you earn (or an offer) to see where it ranks for a surgeon in Seoul, KR.

Your percentile
50th

$250,791 puts you in the 50th percentile. You earn more than about 50% of surgeons in Seoul, KR. That’s right around the typical pay for this role.

$177,409$250,791$354,519

Salary insights

A typical surgeon in Seoul, KR earns about ₩376,520,000 a year and pays about 24% below the South Korea average. Living costs sit near the global baseline (COL index 100). After a simplified tax estimate, typical rent, and everyday costs, a median earner might keep around ₩21,415,510 per month. Relative to the national median (a common remote/location-flexible benchmark), this city pays less by about 24%. An illustrative model tied to local inflation and the role’s outlook suggests pay has risen about 11% over the last few years. Treat every figure as an estimate for research — not a personal offer or immigration advice.

Data-grounded summary from this page’s pay, COL, tax, and trend models — not a generative essay unrelated to the figures.

Cost of living, rent & savings

Seoul’s cost of living is 100 vs. a baseline of 100 (US national average). After adjusting for local prices, the median surgeon salary is worth about $250,791 in baseline-priced terms.

Est. rent (1BR)
$1,650/mo
Other living costs
$1,850/mo
Savings potential
$14,264/mo after tax & costs

Rent and leftover use a COL-scaled single-adult model and the same simplified tax estimate as above (Flat ~15% effective-rate estimate. Rough national income-tax estimate; excludes social security, local taxes, and credits.). Adjust assumptions in the COL calculator.

Inflation

Approximate recent consumer-price inflation in South Korea is about 2.3% per year. Use the inflation calculator to adjust a past salary or offer for purchasing power.

Remote equivalent

The South Korea national median for this role is about $331,259— a common benchmark for remote or location-flexible offers. Local Seoul pay is 24% lower.

Historical trend

Illustrative median pay over the last few years — about +11% across the window.

$226,319
2022
$232,204
2023
$238,241
2024
$244,435
2025
$250,791
2026

Illustrative model based on approximate inflation and the role’s long-term outlook — not a surveyed year-by-year history.

Visa information

E-7 / D-8 work visa

Specialised professionals usually enter on an E-7 (or company-investment) visa sponsored by a Korean employer.

Difficulty for typical skilled hires: moderate. General orientation only — confirm on the official South Korea immigration site before relocating or accepting an offer.

Compare Surgeon pay

See how a surgeon stacks up against similar healthcare roles in South Korea.

What’s your take-home?

Calculator opens with this page’s median ($250,791) and South Korea tax model — tweak hours, period, or offer amount.

Surgeon salary in other South Korea cities

Same role, different city — % gap is vs Seoul.

CityMedian
Incheon, KR$331,259/yr
Daegu, KR$331,259/yr
Daejeon, KR$331,259/yr
Gwangju, KR$331,259/yr
Suwon, KR$331,259/yr
Ulsan, KR$331,259/yr
Goyang-si, KR$331,259/yr
Changwon, KR$331,259/yr

Surgeon salary in other countries

Capital/largest city sample for each market. % gap converts foreign medians into KRW before comparing with Seoul.

CountryLocal median
United States flagUnited Statese.g. Los Angeles$542,000/yr
Switzerland flagSwitzerlande.g. Zürich$506,617/yr
Indonesia flagIndonesiae.g. Jakarta$40,123/yr
Vietnam flagVietname.g. Hanoi$41,969/yr
Argentina flagArgentinae.g. Buenos Aires$42,471/yr
India flagIndiae.g. Mumbai$52,360/yr
Norway flagNorwaye.g. Oslo$445,862/yr
Philippines flagPhilippinese.g. Quezon$55,401/yr
South Africa flagSouth Africae.g. Johannesburg$76,440/yr
Colombia flagColombiae.g. Bogotá$80,659/yr

Related Healthcare jobs in Seoul

Job openings & next moves

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Calculators and comparisons to dig into take-home pay, living costs, and period conversions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average surgeon salary in Seoul, KR?
The average surgeon salary in Seoul, KR is about ₩376,520,000 per year, or roughly ₩180,840.00 per hour.
What is the salary range for a surgeon in Seoul, KR?
Most surgeon salaries in Seoul, KR fall between ₩266,350,000 (entry level) and ₩532,250,000 (senior level). The 25th–75th percentile band is ₩313,870,000 to ₩451,670,000.
How much does a surgeon make per month in Seoul, KR?
A typical surgeon in Seoul, KR earns about ₩31,376,700 per month before tax, based on the annual median of ₩376,520,000.
How does Seoul, KR pay compare to the South Korea average?
Seoul, KR pays about 24% below the South Korea average for a surgeon.
What is the cost-of-living-adjusted surgeon salary in Seoul, KR?
After adjusting for local prices (cost-of-living index 100, where 100 is the US baseline), the median surgeon salary in Seoul, KR is worth roughly ₩376,520,000 in US-baseline terms.
What skills do surgeons need?
Common skills for a surgeon include Surgery, Anatomy, Clinical judgment, Precision, Ethics. Actual requirements vary by employer and seniority.
Is surgeon a growing career?
Employment for surgeon roles is projected to change by about +3% over the next decade. Local demand in Seoul, KR can differ from the national outlook.
What is take-home pay for a surgeon in Seoul, KR?
A simplified national income-tax estimate puts median take-home near ₩320,042,000 per year (about ₩26,670,200 per month), or roughly 15% effective tax on the gross median. Real net pay varies with local taxes, benefits, and filing status.
How much rent might a surgeon pay in Seoul, KR?
A modeled modest 1-bedroom runs about ₩2,477,200 per month in Seoul, KR, scaled from a US baseline by the local cost-of-living index (100). Actual listings vary by neighborhood and size.
Where do these Seoul, KR salary figures come from?
Figures on Pay by Role are aggregated from public labour-market salary APIs, shown in KRW, and refreshed periodically. They are estimates for informational purposes only and are not a guarantee of individual pay.