If you wish to become a surgical technician (surgical tech) in Florida (FL) 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. You may also be required to undergo some background checks and health screening as part of the admittance process.
We have information on all the top accredited surgical tech schools near you in Florida below.
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 (CST). 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.
Best Surgical Tech Schools in Florida in 2023
| College | Metro Area | Accreditation | Program Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| City College | Altamonte Springs | ABHES | Visit |
| Keiser University | Clearwater | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Eastern Florida State College | Cocoa | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Daytona State College | Daytona Beach | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Southern Technical College | Fort Myers | ABHES | Visit |
| Indian River State College | Fort Pierce | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Santa Fe College | Gainesville | CAAHEP | Visit |
| City College | Hollywood | ABHES | Visit |
| Concorde Career Institute | Jacksonville | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Florida State College at Jacksonville | Jacksonville | CAAHEP | |
| Palm Beach State College | Lake Worth | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Traviss Technical College | Lakeland | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Southeastern College | Miami Lakes | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Concorde Career Institute | Miramar | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Lorenzo Walker Technical College | Naples | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Pasco-Hernando State College | New Port Richey | CAAHEP | Visit |
| College of Central Florida | Ocala | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Rasmussen University | Odessa | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Fortis College | Orange Park | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Concorde Career Institute | Orlando | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Orange Technical College | Orlando | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Gulf Coast State College | Panama City | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Pensacola State College | Pensacola | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Southern Technical College | Port Charlotte | ABHES | Visit |
| Tallahassee Community College | Tallahassee | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Concorde Career Institute | Tampa | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Hillsborough Community College | Tampa | CAAHEP | Visit |
| Southern Technical College | Tampa | ABHES | Visit |
| Southeastern College | West Palm Beach | CAAHEP | Visit |
Before enrolling in any surgical tech school, it is strongly recommended that you confirm that it is fully accredited.
There are 29 accredited surgical tech programs in Florida in 2023- listed above.
The following schools have recently been removed from the list of CAAHEP and/or ABHES surgical technician schools in Florida;
- Keiser University, Tampa
- Lindsey Hopkins Education Center, Miami
- Manatee Technical College, Bradenton
- Pinellas Technical College, St. Petersburg
- Riveroak Technical College, Live Oak
- Sheridan Technical College, Hollywood
- Suncoast Technical College, Sarasota
How long does it take to become a surgical tech in Florida?
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.
You can also view the map below for more information on surgical technician programs in Florida.
Surgical Tech Salary Florida
| Average Salary | $43,300 |
| Hourly Wage | $20.82 |
| Top 10% of Earners | $55,950 |
| Bottom 10% of Earners | $32,760 |
| # Employed | 7,070 |
According to the most up-to-date Bureau of Labor Statistics data released in March 2018 the average surgical technician salary in Florida is $43,300 – 10% less than the national average of $48,060.
This equals an hourly wage of $20.82.
Those in the top pay brackets for the profession in Florida earn an average salary of $55,950 whilst those in the lower pay brackets and in entry level positions earn an average of $32,760 per annum.
There are currently 7,070 persons working as surgical technicians in Florida.
Florida Surgical Tech Employment and Salaries by Metro Area
The table below details the salary and employment levels for surgical technicians in the main cities and metro areas in Florida.
As can be seen from the table the highest average salaries for surgical techs in Florida are in the Port St. Lucie area whilst the highest number of surgical tech jobs are in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville.
| Metro Area | Average Salary | Top 10% | Bottom 10% | # Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $49,330 | $68,530 | $34,060 | 590 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $38,640 | $51,960 | $28,520 | 60 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $42,720 | $60,310 | $26,210 | 1,110 |
| Gainesville | $47,750 | $61,530 | $34,600 | 120 |
| Jacksonville | $49,920 | $63,200 | $39,550 | 60 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $52,100 | $62,990 | $33,300 | 160 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $38,940 | $51,510 | $28,570 | 210 |
| Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island | $41,270 | $54,910 | $27,560 | 740 |
| North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton | $45,600 | $62,060 | $27,490 | - |
| Ocala | $39,790 | $48,610 | $28,870 | 240 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $45,390 | $60,690 | $33,440 | 40 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $49,730 | $65,440 | $31,780 | 2,570 |
| Panama City | $50,500 | $69,500 | $32,160 | 1,610 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $41,610 | $55,350 | $31,460 | 80 |
| Port St. Lucie | $52,240 | $64,520 | $39,070 | 280 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach | $40,580 | $49,750 | $29,300 | 30 |
| Tallahassee | $39,100 | $50,560 | $28,630 | 120 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $52,190 | $66,820 | $41,310 | 900 |
| Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach | $41,230 | $52,590 | $32,500 | 130 |
| Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall | $42,140 | $57,350 | $28,600 | 1,040 |
| West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach | $42,280 | $57,900 | $28,730 | 1,870 |
Surgical Tech V’s Related Careers
A career as a surgical technician offers great income potential and excellent job prospects with growth of over 11% projected between 2016 and 2024.
The table below compares the average surgical technician salary and employment in Florida with salary levels for related healthcare careers in the state. As can be seen from the table those working as surgical techs in Florida earn one of the highest salaries when compared with similar healthcare roles.
| Salary | # Employed | |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical Technologist | $43,300 | 7,070 |
| Medical Assistant | $31,980 | 54,220 |
| Nursing Assistant | $25,930 | 92,190 |
| Dental Assistant | $37,920 | 19,040 |
| EMT Paramedic | $33,540 | 11,210 |
| Pharmacy Technician | $27,080 | 1,210 |
| Respiratory Therapy Tech | $48,900 | 490 |
| Veterinary Technician | $31,930 | 8,070 |
| Phlebotomy Technician | $31,140 | 8,280 |
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