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Surgical Technologists in California

Considering working as a Surgical Technologists in California? Here’s what you need to know. Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeons’ assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments. Excludes “Surgical Assistants” (29-9093).

$81,120 Median Annual Wage (California)

$73,045 National Median Annual Wage

10,570 California Employment

Medium Preparation Needed Typical Preparation

What do Surgical Technologists Make in California?

For surgical technologists working in California, the median annual wage is $81,120 per year (or about $39.00/hour).Pay can range from $57,070 at the 10th percentile to $114,390 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$57,070	$27.44
25th percentile	$66,660	$32.05
Median (50th)	$81,120	$39.00
75th percentile	$96,830	$46.55
90th percentile	$114,390	$55.00

Salary ranges for Surgical Technologists in California

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in California compared to the national average — is 0.79, meaning fewer surgical technologists per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, surgical technologists earn a median of $73,045 per year ($35.12/hour), exceeding the California median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 1,876,778 surgical technologists across the United States. In California alone, approximately 10,570 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 1,900 surgical technologists.

Forecasted number of jobs for Surgical Technologists

Top California Metros for Surgical Technologists

The metro areas below employ the most surgical technologists in California.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	3,500	$80,790
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	1,260	$98,820
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	1,120	$76,990
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	960	$82,430
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	670	$103,190
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	600	$95,210
Fresno, CA	350	$74,780
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	250	$73,990
Modesto, CA	170	$82,070
Stockton-Lodi, CA	160	$77,810
Salinas, CA	150	$80,890
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	130	$80,060
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	130	$78,270
Vallejo, CA	130	$101,470
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	120	$101,820
Visalia, CA	110	$61,120
Chico, CA	90	$80,280
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	60	$77,580
Redding, CA	50	$94,200
Napa, CA	40	$97,850

Top States for Surgical Technologists Employment

The table below shows the states where the most surgical technologists work.

State	Number Employed
California	10,570
Texas	9,870
Florida	8,620
New York	5,910
Pennsylvania	4,710
Georgia	4,100
Michigan	3,910
Ohio	3,800
Illinois	3,730
North Carolina	3,720
Wisconsin	2,770
New Jersey	2,720
Indiana	2,610
Alabama	2,610
South Carolina	2,480
Tennessee	2,470
Washington	2,380
Colorado	2,310
Virginia	2,250
Massachusetts	2,240

Highest-Paying States for Surgical Technologists

The highest-paying states for surgical technologists.

State	Annual Median Salary
California	$81,120
Connecticut	$80,590
Oregon	$79,410
Alaska	$79,040
Massachusetts	$78,300
Minnesota	$77,950
Nevada	$76,740
Hawaii	$76,200
New York	$75,250
Washington	$73,460

Skills

The most important surgical technologists skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Monitoring 3.8 / 5

Active Listening 3.4 / 5

Operations Monitoring 3.2 / 5

Critical Thinking 3.1 / 5

Coordination 3.1 / 5

Time Management 3.1 / 5

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Customer and Personal Service 3.7 / 5

Medicine and Dentistry 3.7 / 5

English Language 3.5 / 5

Education and Training 3.1 / 5

Public Safety and Security 2.9 / 5

Psychology 2.9 / 5

Abilities

Top abilities for surgical technologists, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Oral Comprehension 4.0 / 5

Problem Sensitivity 3.8 / 5

Near Vision 3.8 / 5

Speech Recognition 3.6 / 5

Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.5 / 5

Selective Attention 3.4 / 5

Daily Tasks

Surgical Technologists typically:

Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.
Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation.
Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery.
Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card.

Work Activities

Getting Information
Assisting and Caring for Others
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Handling and Moving Objects
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: MEDITECH software

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

Careers similar to surgical technologists include:

Also Known As

Cardiovascular Operating Room Technologist (CVOR Technologist), Certified Surgical Technician, Certified Surgical Technologist (CST), Operating Room Surgical Technician (OR St), Operating Room Surgical Technologist, Operating Room Technician (OR Tech), Operating Room Technologist (OR Tech), Scrub Technician, Surgery Technician (Surgery Tech), Surgical Orderly, Surgical Scrub Technician, Surgical Scrub Technologist (Surgical Scrub Tech), Surgical Technician, Surgical Technologist (Surgical Tech), Travel OR Tech (Travel Operating Room Technician).

References

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
O*NET-SOC code: 29-2055.00

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