Obesity is associated with numerous complications after elective general surgeries. The aim is to compare surgical outcomes and local specific complications in obese and non-obese patients after thyroid surgery. Retrospective study over a 3-year period at a North American academic institution. Outcome measures were operative time, estimated blood loss, hospital length of stay, and local specific complications (hypocalcemia, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, wound hematoma, wound seroma, and chyle leakage). A total of 469 patients were included (mean SD age, 50.11 15.01 years; mean SD BMI, 30.5 8.3 kg/m2; 207 44.14% obese). There was no difference in operative time (125.7 vs. 129.6, p = 0.52), estimated blood loss (16.88 vs. 14.56, p = 0.28), or hospital length of stay (0.95 vs. 0.95, p = 0.96). Overall, there was no difference in the rates of local specific complications between the two groups. Obesity is not associated with adverse outcomes in patients undergoing thyroid surgery. •Obesity is considered by many surgeons as a challenge associated with complications.•The local specific complications in the obese were comparable to those in the non-obese.•The more familiarity with operating on obese patients, the less operative time.•No difference between obese and non-obese regarding hospital length of stay.