Surgical Technologists · California

Surgical Technologists Salary in California

Surgical Technologists in California earn a median annual wage of $81,310 —25.8% above the national median of $64,650. That ranks CA #3 of 51 covered states and territories for this occupation.

Median annual
$81,310
Median hourly
$39.09
Entry level (P10)
$49,140
10th percentile
Top 10% (P90)
$115,740
90th percentile
Employment
11,920
0.7 per 1,000 jobs
vs U.S. median
+25.8%
U.S. $64,650

Wage distribution

How earnings are spread across workers in this occupation, from the 10th to the 90th percentile.

10th percentile90th percentile
$49,140
$64,380
$81,310
$99,260
$49,140$81,310$115,740
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $81,310.

Employment concentration (0.87×) is close to the national average.

Highest-paying states for surgical technologists

All 51 states ranked by median annual wage. California is highlighted.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmploymentLocation quotient
1Hawaii$82,640$39.732900.60
2Oregon$81,390$39.131,0900.74
3California$81,310$39.0911,9200.87
4Massachusetts$80,870$38.882,2200.81
5Alaska$80,380$38.653101.28
6Minnesota$80,210$38.561,7700.80
7Connecticut$79,890$38.411,2200.95
8New York$79,550$38.256,5400.89
9District of Columbia$77,520$37.273400.63
10Washington$77,270$37.152,5100.94

Related occupations in California

Occupations in the same job family, compared within California.

OccupationCalifornia medianU.S. median
Registered Nurses$140,270$97,550
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$79,750$64,400
Pharmacy Technicians$55,110$45,750
Physicians, All Other$281,590$265,930
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$76,010$62,930
Nurse Practitioners$168,520$132,300

Frequently asked questions

How much do surgical technologists make in California?

The median annual wage for surgical technologists in California is $81,310, or $39.09 per hour. That is 25.8% above the national median of $64,650.

What is the entry-level surgical technologists salary in California?

Workers at the 10th percentile earn $49,140 per year ($23.63/hour). The 25th percentile is $64,380.

How many people work as surgical technologists in California?

About 11,920 people work in this occupation in California, or 0.7 per 1,000 jobs statewide.

Is California a good state for surgical technologists?

California ranks #3 of 51 states by median wage for this occupation. Employment concentration (0.87x) is close to the national average.

Which state pays surgical technologists the most?

Hawaii has the highest median wage at $82,640 per year, followed by Oregon ($81,390) and California ($81,310).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, cross-industry estimates. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Figures are rounded by BLS to the nearest dollar (annual) and cent (hourly). Percentile wages describe the distribution of workers, not the pay range for a single job posting. bls.gov/oes