General Medical and Surgical Hospitals Revenue Benchmarks
The average general medical and surgical hospitals business in the United States generates $316.2M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 2,542 general medical and surgical hospitals businesses in the U.S., employing 5,577,400 workers with an average profit margin of 13.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $81K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a General Medical and Surgical Hospitals Business Actually Do?
Acute-care hospitals providing inpatient and outpatient medical care. Include for-profit (HCA, CHS), non-profit (Kaiser, Ascension), and government (VA, county).
Who buys: Patients (via insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, self-pay), physicians using hospital as venue.
Average Revenue
$316.2M
per year
Profit Margin
13.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$144K
per year
Total Businesses
2,542
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$41.1M
small business avg
Labor Cost
50.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$81K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
0.8
firms per 100K people
How Much Do General Medical and Surgical Hospitals Charge?
Acute-care hospitals charge negotiated rates per stay/procedure, with Medicare DRG rates as reference.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Average inpatient day | $3,000–8,000 (facility only) |
Medicare DRG (typical) | $8,000–35,000 per stay |
Emergency department visit | $1,500–6,000 (facility) |
Major surgery (facility) | $25,000–150,000+ |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete general medical and surgical hospitals business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a general medical and surgical hospitals business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the general medical and surgical hospitals industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Medical supplies & pharma | $13 | $40.9M | Disposables, medications, lab reagents, implants, and other direct patient supplies. |
Wages & benefits | $50 | $158.1M | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $6 | $17.5M | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $2 | $5.8M | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $17 | $52.6M | Malpractice insurance, billing services, equipment leasing, regulatory compliance. |
Net profit | $13 | $41.1M | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
4.58%
openings/year
Closure Rate
2.39%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+2.7%
annual
Businesses Closed
33
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a General Medical and Surgical Hospitals Business?
Startup Cost
$75K – $300K
Break-Even
0 months
5-Year Survival Rate
70.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a general medical and surgical hospitals business do?
- Acute-care hospitals providing inpatient and outpatient medical care. Include for-profit (HCA, CHS), non-profit (Kaiser, Ascension), and government (VA, county). Patients (via insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, self-pay), physicians using hospital as venue.
- How much do general medical and surgical hospitals charge?
- Acute-care hospitals charge negotiated rates per stay/procedure, with Medicare DRG rates as reference. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average general medical and surgical hospitals make per year?
- The average general medical and surgical hospitals business generates $316.2M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $41.1M per year at a 13.0% profit margin.
- How many general medical and surgical hospitals businesses are there in the US?
- There are 2,542 general medical and surgical hospitals businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 5,577,400 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a general medical and surgical hospitals business?
- Startup costs for a general medical and surgical hospitals business typically range from $75K to $300K, with a 5-year survival rate of 70.0%.
- What is the average salary in the general medical and surgical hospitals industry?
- The average employee in the general medical and surgical hospitals industry earns $81K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The general medical and surgical hospitals industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 2.7% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (4.6% entry vs 2.4% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 89% of general medical and surgical hospitals businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 33 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the general medical and surgical hospitals industry earns $80,747/year. This is significantly above the national average of ~$65K, reflecting the skilled nature of this work. With 10,802 establishments employing 4,885,638 people, the typical business has about 452 employees. These tend to be larger operations requiring significant staffing investment.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The general medical and surgical hospitals industry has declined 29% since 2000 (from 3,413 to 2,437 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare General Medical and Surgical Hospitals revenue with other industries: