What it is
Vascular surgeons treat diseases of the arteries and veins (except the heart and brain) — aneurysms, blockages, and circulation problems — using open surgery and minimally invasive endovascular techniques.
What you do
They repair aneurysms, restore blood flow, and manage circulatory disease, increasingly via catheter-based (endovascular) procedures.
Training path & length
An integrated 5-year residency or general surgery plus a 2-year fellowship.
Fellowship subspecialties
Practice focuses (rather than long fellowship lists) include endovascular therapy, aortic disease, and limb salvage.
Pay & job outlook
Physicians are among the highest-paid professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $275,930 for physicians and surgeons (May 2025), with employment projected to grow about 4% from 2025 to 2035. Pay varies by specialty — procedural and surgical fields generally earn more.
Vascular surgeons earn well above the physician median.
How to get there
Become a physician first: earn an MD or DO, then match into this residency. Licensure requires completing residency and passing the board exams.
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Key facts
- Training5–7 years (integrated or fellowship)
- TreatsArteries & veins (not heart/brain)
- ApproachOpen + endovascular
- PayWell above the physician median
- EntryMD or DO via the match