Surgical technicians undergo many hours of training to enter the field. But where you live can be a huge factor in how much you earn as a surgical technician. When you work hard to start a new career, you want to maximize your earning potential and in this particular profession, that could mean relocating to a different state.
The average surgical assistant salary varies widely nationwide. In fact, salaries can vary as much as $15,000 annually from state to state. You will even find as much as a $5,000 difference among the five highest paying states in the country.
The starting salary for surgical techs working in the District of Columbia is the highest, making them the highest paid surgical techs in the country. They earn an average of $50,070 annually. However, the surgical techs working in the 5th highest paying state, Minnesota, earn $45,730. While this is still a great salary, it is significantly less than in D.C. You can imagine that salary differences in other states are even more dramatic.
This chart displays annual mean salaries for Surgical Technicians in the U.S. The data was collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OES - May 2008.
California’s surgical techs earn an average of $47,280 annually while Maryland is a very close 3rd place, with its surgical techs earning an average of $47,270. In Nevada, salaries for surgical techs average $45,990 annually.
Geography will always influence salary and if you live in a low-paying area for your industry, this can be a negative thing. But if you’re looking for a pay raise and you don’t want to wait to gain more experience, you can always get paid to relocate!
Related Charts for Surgical Technician Salaries:
The bar graph above shows the states with the highest surgical technician salaries. The data is displayed below in table format:
| State | Mean Annual Wages |
|---|
| District of Columbia | 50070 |
| California | 47280 |
| Maryland | 47270 |
| Nevada | 45990 |
| Minnesota | 45730 |
