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Surgical technologist salary in California

Open surgical technologist jobs in California post a median of $44 an hour, the middle half $38.25–$53.25 (about $91,500 a year full time), $7 above the national posted median. From 114 jobs at 25 employers that state their pay.

$44
Median posted /hr
$38–$53
Middle half /hr
$91,500
A year, full time
estimate, 2,080 hours
$39.09
BLS median in CA
May 2025

The jobs themselves: Surgical technologist jobs in California · Surgical technologist pay nationwide

What surgical technologists are paid in California

Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).

Posted hourly rates of 114 open jobs in California. Lowest posted $21, highest $78.81.

Posted on open jobs in California

$38.25–$53.25/hr

Middle half of 83 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $44. 58% of the 196 open surgical technologist jobs in California state an hourly rate.

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Surgical technologist pay by town in California

Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.

TownMedian postedPosted rangeJobs (employers)
San Diego$41.25$33.79–$53.2312 (2)
Los Angeles$46$30.50–$62.2911 (4)
Palo Alto$57.25$53.28–$66.556 (2)
San Francisco$58.75$50.24–$74.265 (3)
Redwood City$57.50$52.84–$61.805 (3)
Loma Linda$36.25$28.62–$45.145 (1)
Oakland$58$49.38–$75.064 (3)
Roseville$57$42.41–$60.644 (2)
Stockton$46$26.06–$54.454 (2)
Burlingame$64$53.81–$78.813 (2)
Fremont$58.50$47.45–$75.063 (2)
South San Francisco$57$53.55–$60.643 (1)
Berkeley$52.75$46.10–$75.063 (1)
Murrieta$36.25$31–$45.143 (2)
Bakersfield$35.75$31.03–$42.283 (2)

Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.

Surgical technologist pay by employer in California

What each employer posts for surgical technologists here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.

EmployerMedian postedPosted rangeJobs stating pay
Kaiser Permanente$55.75$31.03–$66.7021
CommonSpirit Health$44$23.11–$61.8013
Sutter Health$59$36.83–$78.8110
Cedars-Sinai$44.50$29.04–$62.2910
United Surgical Partners International$39$25–$569
Scripps Health$42.75$34.97–$53.237
Sharp HealthCare$39.25$32.73–$46.457
Loma Linda University Health$35$28.62–$45.146
Stanford Health Care$57.75$53.41–$61.055
Providence$46.25$34.58–$59.615
UCSF Health$60.50$50.24–$674
Stanford Medicine Children's Health$59.75$53.28–$66.552
Montage Health$52.75$45.05–$60.272
Salinas Valley Health$44.50$41.19–$47.672
MarinHealth$63.75$56.78–$70.601
Alameda Health System$58.75$51.25–$66.201
HealthTrust Workforce Solutions$56$55–$571
Marshall Medical Center$42$38.15–$45.781
Eisenhower Health$36.75$29.14–$44.261
Lompoc Valley Medical Center$34.75$29.16–$40.211
Prime Healthcare$34.75$25.48–$44.121
MemorialCare$32.25$32.191
San Antonio Regional Hospital$32.25$25.83–$38.751
Acuity Eye Group$27.50$25–$301
ScionHealth$22.25$21–$23.281

Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for surgical technologists nationwide when it has such a page.

Night shift surgical technologist pay in California

Where one employer posts both night and other surgical technologist jobs in the same state (5 such employers and states), the night jobs post the same base rate as the rest (the median gap is $0): most employers state their night differential apart from the base pay, so check the posting for it.

Employer, stateNight jobs, medianOther jobs, median
Cedars-Sinai, CA$50.50 (1)$43 (9)
Sharp HealthCare, CA$37.50 (2)$40.50 (5)
Providence, CA$44.50 (2)$46.50 (3)
Stanford Health Care, CA$57.75 (2)$57.75 (3)
UCSF Health, CA$60.50 (1)$60.50 (3)

A job counts as a night job when its title names nights ("Nights", "NOC", "7p-7a"). Jobs in brackets.

Best-paid open surgical technologist jobs in California

The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

What BLS measures in California

What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.

Hourly wages, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California. Each figure opens its BLS page.
BLS occupation10th pct25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctEmployed
Surgical Technologists (29-2055)$23.63 (source: BLS OEWS, Surgical Technologists, opens in a new tab)$30.95 (source: BLS OEWS, Surgical Technologists, opens in a new tab)$39.09 (source: BLS OEWS, Surgical Technologists, opens in a new tab)$47.72 (source: BLS OEWS, Surgical Technologists, opens in a new tab)$55.64 (source: BLS OEWS, Surgical Technologists, opens in a new tab)11,920 (source: BLS OEWS, Surgical Technologists, opens in a new tab)

BLS median by metro area

Surgical technologist salary in California: common questions

How much does a surgical technologist make in California?

Open surgical technologist jobs in California that state an hourly rate post a median of $44, the middle half $38.25–$53.25 (114 jobs from 25 employers). Full time that is about $91,500 a year. BLS measured a median of $39.09/hr ($81,310 a year) for people employed in the occupation in California (May 2025).

Where in California do surgical technologists earn the most?

By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: San Diego ($41.25), Los Angeles ($46), Palo Alto ($57.25) and San Francisco ($58.75). The town table lists 15.

Which employers in California pay surgical technologists the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: UCSF Health ($60.50), Sutter Health ($59) and Stanford Health Care ($57.75).

How does California compare with the rest of the country?

The posted median in California ($44) is $7 above the national posted median of $37. In the BLS survey California ranks 3 of 52 by median wage.

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 114 of 196 open surgical technologist jobs in California (58%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.

Surgical technologist pay in other states

Surgical technologist salary nationwide →Every healthcare salary →

Sources and method

Only pay a job states is used, a range at its midpoint. In the state's median and middle half each employer's advertised range counts once, so an employer posting one range in many towns does not set the figure; a town's median follows the same rule. "Up to" ceilings, weekly travel rates and rates far from the occupation's median are left out. A state has a page while at least 8 jobs from 3 employers state a rate there. The yearly estimate is the hourly rate times 2,080 hours. BLS figures are as published.
  1. CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
  2. BLS OEWS May 2025: Surgical Technologists (SOC 29-2055), every state, published May 15, 2026
  3. BLS OEWS May 2025: Surgical Technologists, national, published May 15, 2026
  4. BLS OEWS May 2025: Surgical Technologists by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026

Cite this page

CareJobs.Now. (2026). Surgical technologist salary in California. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/surgical-technologist/california

How the board counts