If you've searched around, you've probably seen four different "average" prices for breast augmentation. They're not inconsistent — they're measuring different things.
| Source | Figure | What it actually measures |
|---|---|---|
| ASPS (plasticsurgery.org) | $4,875 | Surgeon's fee onlyExcludes anesthesia, facility/OR fees, implants, and other related costs — often mistaken for a total-cost figure. |
| CareCredit / ASQ360° Market Research (2026 Synchrony study) | $6,721 ($4,667–$11,186) | All-in total, national averageThe largest sample-backed study available, with a full 51-state breakdown. |
| RealSelf (patient-reported) | $7,455–$7,873 | All-in total, patient-reported averageReflects what patients report actually paying, based on 2,280+ reviews (range $3,900–$12,500). |
| Healthcare Blue Book (by-city) | $5,853–$7,301 | All-in total, by metroRanges from Cleveland ($5,853) to New York City ($7,301). |
Most competing pages quote the ASPS $4,875figure as if it were the total cost of surgery. ASPS itself is explicit that it isn't — asps's national average surgeon's fee only — excludes anesthesia, facility/or fees, implants, and other related costs. When you see a page cite "$4,875" as what breast augmentation costs, without qualifying it, that's the single most common sourcing error in this niche.
For planning purposes, the all-in total figures (CareCredit's $6,721 average, RealSelf's $7,455–$7,873 patient-reported average) are far more useful than the ASPS surgeon-fee-only number — they include anesthesia, facility, and implant cost, which the ASPS figure explicitly excludes. Use our calculator above for an estimate calibrated to your specific implant type and whether you're combining a lift.
Based on ASPS, CareCredit, and RealSelf data · Last checked August 2026 · Full methodology →
They're measuring different things, not disagreeing. ASPS publishes a surgeon's-fee-only average. CareCredit and RealSelf publish all-in totals that include anesthesia, facility fees, and implants. A surgeon-fee-only figure will always look lower than an all-in total for the same procedure.
No — $4,875 is ASPS's national average surgeon's fee only. It excludes anesthesia, facility/OR fees, implants, and other related costs. The all-in total most patients actually pay runs $6,000–$12,000 nationally, per CareCredit and RealSelf data.
The all-in total figures — CareCredit's $6,721 average or RealSelf's $7,455–$7,873 patient-reported average (RealSelf's own current figure runs higher than what secondary sources had cited, so we show the fuller range) — are far more useful for planning than the ASPS surgeon-fee-only number, since they include the full cost of the procedure.
It's the most widely available, easily citable public number in the niche. Many pages reuse it without qualifying that it excludes most of what you'll actually pay — one of the most common sourcing errors across competing breast augmentation cost pages.