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Best states for a surgical assistant
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for surgical assistants? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for surgical assistant jobs.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for surgical assistants. We found that Texas is the best state in the nation for surgical assistants, and people in Mililani Town earn the most in the field.
We figured that the best places for surgical assistant jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that Texas is the best state for surgical assistant jobs, whereas Virginia is the worst.
10 best states for surgical assistants in 2025
1. Texas
Total surgical assistant jobs: 2,054 Average annual salary: $56,636 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
2. Iowa
Total surgical assistant jobs: 347 Average annual salary: $56,317 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
3. New Mexico
Total surgical assistant jobs: 149 Average annual salary: $57,745 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
4. New Jersey
Total surgical assistant jobs: 596 Average annual salary: $62,770 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1
5. Illinois
Total surgical assistant jobs: 1,080 Average annual salary: $56,674 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
6. Kansas
Total surgical assistant jobs: 182 Average annual salary: $58,818 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
7. Alaska
Total surgical assistant jobs: 89 Average annual salary: $58,054 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
8. Hawaii
Total surgical assistant jobs: 57 Average annual salary: $65,168 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
9. Arkansas
Total surgical assistant jobs: 229 Average annual salary: $52,497 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
10. Tennessee
Total surgical assistant jobs: 548 Average annual salary: $51,301 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
Surgical assistant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a surgical assistant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a surgical assistant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $56,636 | $38,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,054 |
| 2 | Iowa | $56,317 | $38,000 | 3,145,711 | 347 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $57,745 | $40,000 | 2,088,070 | 149 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $62,770 | $37,000 | 9,005,644 | 596 |
| 5 | Illinois | $56,674 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,080 |
| 6 | Kansas | $58,818 | $40,000 | 2,913,123 | 182 |
| 7 | Alaska | $58,054 | $46,000 | 739,795 | 89 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $65,168 | $49,000 | 1,427,538 | 57 |
| 9 | Arkansas | $52,497 | $35,000 | 3,004,279 | 229 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $51,301 | $34,000 | 6,715,984 | 548 |
| 11 | New York | $62,666 | $37,000 | 19,849,399 | 732 |
| 12 | Nevada | $56,673 | $38,000 | 2,998,039 | 107 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $52,017 | $34,000 | 4,684,333 | 243 |
| 14 | Georgia | $51,686 | $33,000 | 10,429,379 | 820 |
| 15 | Michigan | $51,363 | $32,000 | 9,962,311 | 550 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $51,118 | $30,000 | 3,588,184 | 313 |
| 17 | California | $59,774 | $40,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,609 |
| 18 | Utah | $52,960 | $36,000 | 3,101,833 | 183 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $53,314 | $36,000 | 3,930,864 | 133 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $51,405 | $34,000 | 2,984,100 | 119 |
| 21 | Ohio | $47,778 | $30,000 | 11,658,609 | 788 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $48,034 | $30,000 | 1,815,857 | 107 |
| 23 | Colorado | $51,000 | $35,000 | 5,607,154 | 490 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $51,000 | $35,000 | 579,315 | 36 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $47,901 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 478 |
| 26 | Florida | $47,711 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,428 |
| 27 | Arizona | $46,980 | $32,000 | 7,016,270 | 655 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $49,819 | $31,000 | 10,273,419 | 551 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $46,910 | $32,000 | 869,666 | 74 |
| 30 | Missouri | $48,326 | $32,000 | 6,113,532 | 430 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $47,948 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 296 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $47,086 | $30,000 | 4,454,189 | 241 |
| 33 | Montana | $49,036 | $34,000 | 1,050,493 | 70 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $46,088 | $26,000 | 1,342,795 | 132 |
| 35 | Rhode Island | $50,047 | $29,000 | 1,059,639 | 50 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $47,087 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 59 |
| 37 | Delaware | $50,823 | $30,000 | 961,939 | 45 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $48,292 | $28,000 | 6,859,819 | 551 |
| 39 | Maryland | $49,869 | $30,000 | 6,052,177 | 331 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $48,026 | $33,000 | 1,920,076 | 109 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $49,597 | $30,000 | 693,972 | 92 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $48,028 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 288 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $42,145 | $25,000 | 12,805,537 | 792 |
| 44 | Indiana | $38,884 | $25,000 | 6,666,818 | 600 |
| 45 | Oregon | $45,432 | $30,000 | 4,142,776 | 231 |
| 46 | Washington | $44,255 | $29,000 | 7,405,743 | 488 |
| 47 | Idaho | $43,097 | $29,000 | 1,716,943 | 105 |
| 48 | Alabama | $41,118 | $27,000 | 4,874,747 | 286 |
| 49 | Vermont | $43,416 | $25,000 | 623,657 | 24 |
| 50 | Maine | $34,919 | $20,000 | 1,335,907 | 81 |
| 51 | Virginia | $40,938 | $25,000 | 8,470,020 | 481 |
Highest paying states for surgical assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. Surgical Assistant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $56,636 |
| 2 | Iowa | $56,317 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $57,745 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $62,770 |
| 5 | Illinois | $56,674 |
| 6 | Kansas | $58,818 |
| 7 | Alaska | $58,054 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $65,168 |
| 9 | Arkansas | $52,497 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $51,301 |
| 11 | New York | $62,666 |
| 12 | Nevada | $56,673 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $52,017 |
| 14 | Georgia | $51,686 |
| 15 | Michigan | $51,363 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $51,118 |
| 17 | California | $59,774 |
| 18 | Utah | $52,960 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $53,314 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $51,405 |
| 21 | Ohio | $47,778 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $48,034 |
| 23 | Colorado | $51,000 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $51,000 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $47,901 |
| 26 | Florida | $47,711 |
| 27 | Arizona | $46,980 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $49,819 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $46,910 |
| 30 | Missouri | $48,326 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $47,948 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $47,086 |
| 33 | Montana | $49,036 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $46,088 |
| 35 | Rhode Island | $50,047 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $47,087 |
| 37 | Delaware | $50,823 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $48,292 |
| 39 | Maryland | $49,869 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $48,026 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $49,597 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $48,028 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $42,145 |
| 44 | Indiana | $38,884 |
| 45 | Oregon | $45,432 |
| 46 | Washington | $44,255 |
| 47 | Idaho | $43,097 |
| 48 | Alabama | $41,118 |
| 49 | Vermont | $43,416 |
| 50 | Maine | $34,919 |
| 51 | Virginia | $40,938 |
Surgical assistant best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025