Get started with your new career in healthcare today and learn how to become a surgical technician/technologist (surgical tech) in California.
We have information on all the top accredited surgical tech programs, certification/ licensing requirements, and salaries and employment data for aspiring surgical technicians in California.
How to become a Surgical Tech in California
A career as a surgical technician offers great income potential and excellent job prospects with growth of over 11% projected between 2016 and 2024.
In order to become a surgical technician in California, you will need to complete an accredited surgical tech program. Surgical tech programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) as well as the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).
A high school diploma or similar is typically a requirement for admittance into such programs. Some schools may require certain subjects such as biology or maths as a prerequisite. Additionally, you may be required to undergo some background checks and health screening as part of the admittance process.
Most surgical tech programs will typically take between 9 months and 2 years to complete depending on whether it is a certificate or degree program.
Once you have graduated from an accredited program you can then choose to sit the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) certification exams to become a Certified Surgical Technologist. Certification is not essential but it is generally preferred by employers and will help greatly with career advancement.
As of yet licensing for surgical technicians is only a requirement in a small number of states including Colorado, Illinois, Washington, Indiana, and DC.
Accredited Surgical Tech Programs in California
| College | Metro Area | Website |
|---|---|---|
| San Joaquin Valley College | Bakersfield | sjvc.edu |
| Southwestern College | Chula Vista | swccd.edu |
| Carrington College | Citrus Heights | carrington.edu |
| Mt Diablo Adult Education | Concord | mdusd.org |
| Glendale Career College | Glendale | success.edu |
| Premiere Career College | Irwindale | premierecollege.edu |
| North-West College | Long Beach | success.edu |
| Concorde Career College | North Hollywood | concorde.edu |
| MiraCosta College | Oceanside | miracosta.edu |
| Career Networks Institute | Orange | cnicollege.edu |
| North-West College | Riverside | success.edu |
| Concorde Career College | San Bernardino | concorde.edu |
| Skyline College | San Bruno | smccd.edu |
| Concorde Career College | San Diego | concorde.edu |
| Carrington College | San Jose | carrington.edu |
| Simi Valley Career Institute | Simi Valley | simivalleyusd.org |
| San Joaquin Valley College | Visalia | sjvc.edu |
Before you enrol in any surgical tech school it is strongly recommended that you confirm that it is fully accredited.
There are currently 17 accredited surgical technician programs in California – listed above.
You can also view the map below for more information on surgical technician programs in California.
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Surgical Tech Salary California
| Average Salary | $61,240 |
| Hourly Wage | $29.44 |
| Top 10% of Earners | $82,190 |
| Bottom 10% of Earners | $41,630 |
| # Employed | 9,800 |
According to the most up to date Bureau of Labor Statistics data released in March 2018, the average surgical technician salary in California is $61,240 – 27% more than the national average of $48,060.
This represents an hourly wage of $29.44.
Those in the top pay brackets for the profession in California earn an average salary of $82,190 whilst those in the lower pay brackets and in entry-level positions earn an average of $41,630 per annum.
There are currently 9,800 persons working as surgical technicians in California.
California Surgical Tech Employment and Salaries by Metro Area
The table below details salary and employment levels for surgical technicians in the main cities and metro areas in California.
As can be seen from the table the highest average salaries for surgical techs in California are in the Vallejo-Fairfield area whilst the highest number of surgical tech jobs are in Stockton-Lodi.
| Metro Area | Average Salary | # Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine | $41,790 | 100 |
| Bakersfield | $47,390 | 780 |
| Chico | $55,600 | 300 |
| Fresno | $55,380 | 1,200 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $57,050 | 110 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale | $51,800 | 290 |
| Modesto | $42,950 | 200 |
| Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley | $49,420 | 460 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $38,340 | 70 |
| Redding | $35,800 | 90 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $54,750 | - |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade | $47,330 | - |
| Salinas | $45,960 | 130 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad | $44,860 | 120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward | $39,030 | 570 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco | $51,700 | 220 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $45,890 | 50 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande | $38,200 | 30 |
| San Rafael | $47,520 | 100 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $43,550 | 70 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $43,590 | 60 |
| Santa Rosa | $56,670 | - |
| Stockton-Lodi | $56,540 | 1,740 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield | $57,410 | 1,340 |
| Visalia-Porterville | $56,270 | 100 |
Surgical Tech V’s Related Careers
The table below compares the average surgical technician salary and employment in California with salary levels for related healthcare careers in the state.
| Salary | # Employed | |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical Technologist | $61,240 | 9,800 |
| Medical Assistant | $36,630 | 89,910 |
| Nursing Assistant | $33,560 | 98,570 |
| Dental Assistant | $39,930 | 50,100 |
| EMT Paramedic | $36,370 | 19,660 |
| Veterinary Technician | $39,690 | 9,780 |
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