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Surgical assistant salary
Average surgical assistant salary
$52,170
Understanding Surgical Assistant Salaries
The average salary for a surgical assistant stands at $52,170 annually, which translates to approximately $25 per hour. This figure represents a general benchmark, but it's essential to note that salaries can vary significantly by state and industry. For instance, surgical assistants working in metropolitan areas or specialized surgical fields may earn considerably more.
Factors influencing salary include years of experience, location, and the type of healthcare facility. Those with advanced certifications or who work in high-demand specialties often command higher wages. For example, surgical assistants in states like California and New York typically have higher salary averages due to the cost of living and demand for healthcare services.
Additionally, surgical assistants can find opportunities for increased earnings by pursuing roles in orthopedic or cardiovascular surgery, where the complexity of procedures may warrant higher compensation. Understanding these nuances can empower job seekers to effectively navigate their career paths and optimize their earning potential in this rewarding field.
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Where can a Surgical Assistant earn more?
Surgical assistant salary estimates from across the web
Average surgical assistant salary by state
The highest-paying states for surgical assistants are Hawaii, New Jersey, and New York. The lowest average surgical assistant salary states are Idaho, Pennsylvania, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for surgical assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $56,636 | $27.23 |
| 2 | Iowa | $56,317 | $27.08 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $57,745 | $27.76 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $62,770 | $30.18 |
| 5 | Illinois | $56,674 | $27.25 |
| 6 | Kansas | $58,818 | $28.28 |
| 7 | Alaska | $58,054 | $27.91 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $65,168 | $31.33 |
| 9 | Arkansas | $52,497 | $25.24 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $51,301 | $24.66 |
| 11 | New York | $62,666 | $30.13 |
| 12 | Nevada | $56,673 | $27.25 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $52,017 | $25.01 |
| 14 | Georgia | $51,686 | $24.85 |
| 15 | Michigan | $51,363 | $24.69 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $51,118 | $24.58 |
| 17 | California | $59,774 | $28.74 |
| 18 | Utah | $52,960 | $25.46 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $53,314 | $25.63 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $51,405 | $24.71 |
| 21 | Ohio | $47,778 | $22.97 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $48,034 | $23.09 |
| 23 | Colorado | $51,000 | $24.52 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $51,000 | $24.52 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $47,901 | $23.03 |
| 26 | Florida | $47,711 | $22.94 |
| 27 | Arizona | $46,980 | $22.59 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $49,819 | $23.95 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $46,910 | $22.55 |
| 30 | Missouri | $48,326 | $23.23 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $47,948 | $23.05 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $47,086 | $22.64 |
| 33 | Montana | $49,036 | $23.57 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $46,088 | $22.16 |
| 35 | Rhode Island | $50,047 | $24.06 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $47,087 | $22.64 |
| 37 | Delaware | $50,823 | $24.43 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $48,292 | $23.22 |
| 39 | Maryland | $49,869 | $23.98 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $48,026 | $23.09 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $49,597 | $23.84 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $48,028 | $23.09 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $42,145 | $20.26 |
| 44 | Indiana | $38,884 | $18.69 |
| 45 | Oregon | $45,432 | $21.84 |
| 46 | Washington | $44,255 | $21.28 |
| 47 | Idaho | $43,097 | $20.72 |
| 48 | Alabama | $41,118 | $19.77 |
| 49 | Vermont | $43,416 | $20.87 |
| 50 | Maine | $34,919 | $16.79 |
| 51 | Virginia | $40,938 | $19.68 |
Highest paying cities for surgical assistants
The highest-paying cities for surgical assistants are New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, and Las Cruces, NM.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $62,965 | $30.27 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $60,288 | $28.98 |
| 3 | Las Cruces, NM | $58,895 | $28.31 |
| 4 | San Antonio, TX | $57,619 | $27.70 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $56,819 | $27.32 |
| 6 | Edmond, OK | $53,516 | $25.73 |
| 7 | Wyandotte, MI | $51,540 | $24.78 |
| 8 | Colorado Springs, CO | $51,506 | $24.76 |
| 9 | Knoxville, TN | $50,872 | $24.46 |
| 10 | Winston-Salem, NC | $49,738 | $23.91 |
| 11 | Clinton, MD | $49,628 | $23.86 |
| 12 | Springfield, MO | $49,198 | $23.65 |
| 13 | Akron, OH | $48,503 | $23.32 |
| 14 | Tampa, FL | $48,211 | $23.18 |
| 15 | Saint Paul, MN | $48,012 | $23.08 |
| 16 | Omaha, NE | $47,789 | $22.98 |
| 17 | Paducah, KY | $47,674 | $22.92 |
| 18 | Eau Claire, WI | $47,437 | $22.81 |
| 19 | Fargo, ND | $46,807 | $22.50 |
| 20 | Tacoma, WA | $44,630 | $21.46 |
Surgical assistant salary details
A surgical assistant's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $76,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a surgical assistant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| 75th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| Average | $52,170 | $4,348 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
Highest paying surgical assistant jobs
The highest paying types of surgical assistants are surgical nurse, surgical first assistant, and certified surgical assistant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surgical Coordinator | $36,765 | $3,064 | $17.68 | 73,088 |
| Surgical Nurse | $64,025 | $5,335 | $30.78 | 638,444 |
| Surgical Technician | $52,193 | $4,349 | $25.09 | 70,920 |
Top companies hiring surgical assistants now:
Which companies pay surgical assistants the most?
Surgical assistant salaries at Baptist Health Care and Novant Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average surgical assistant salary at companies like Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego and Chesapeake Regional Healthcare are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baptist Health Care | $79,090 | $38.02 |
| 2 | Novant Health | $68,445 | $32.91 |
| 3 | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego | $66,226 | $31.84 |
| 4 | Chesapeake Regional Healthcare | $66,073 | $31.77 |
| 5 | University of Maryland Medical System | $64,696 | $31.10 |
| 6 | CHKD Thrift Store | $64,437 | $30.98 |
| 7 | Northwell Health | $64,418 | $30.97 |
| 8 | Halifax Health | $64,096 | $30.82 |
| 9 | Hancock Wellness | $63,909 | $30.73 |
| 10 | Carle Foundation | $62,571 | $30.08 |
| 11 | Southwest General | $62,371 | $29.99 |
| 12 | Baptist Health Home Care | $61,946 | $29.78 |
| 13 | Swedish Hospital | $61,929 | $29.77 |
| 14 | Henry Ford Health System | $61,847 | $29.73 |
| 15 | Health Alliance | $61,726 | $29.68 |
| 16 | Mount Sinai Health System | $61,548 | $29.59 |
| 17 | Mercy Children's Hospital | $61,455 | $29.55 |
| 18 | HealthTrust | $61,351 | $29.50 |
| 19 | Kettering Health Network | $61,190 | $29.42 |
| 20 | LifePoint Health | $60,904 | $29.28 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Surgical Assistant salary by industry
The average surgical assistant salary varies across industries:
- The average surgical assistant salary in the utilities industry is $72,838, the highest of any industry.
- The average surgical assistant salary in the finance industry is $63,023.
- Surgical assistants in the retail industry earn an average salary of $47,512, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for surgical assistants
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utilities | $72,838 | $35.02 |
| 2 | Media | $63,023 | $30.30 |
| 3 | Health Care | $55,450 | $26.66 |
| 4 | Retail | $47,512 | $22.84 |
High paying surgical assistant jobs
Surgical assistant salary trends
The average surgical assistant salary has risen by $4,203 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average surgical assistant earned $47,967 annually, but today, they earn $52,170 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for surgical assistants over the last decade.
Compare surgical assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average surgical assistant salary over time
Compare surgical assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Surgical assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $52,200 | $25.08 | +2.7% |
| 2025 | $50,800 | $24.40 | -0.7% |
| 2024 | $51,100 | $24.58 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | $49,800 | $23.93 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $48,900 | $23.52 | -0.5% |
Recently added surgical assistant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Oms | Surgical Assistant | Vista, CA | 06/30/2025 | $48,001 |
| ATC Healthcare | Medical Surgical (CNA/Nurse Assistant) | Salem, OR | 06/29/2025 | $58,436 |
| Essentia Health | Surgical Assistant-CST | Virginia, MN | 06/28/2025 | $64,050 |
| Intermountain Healthcare | Surgical Assistant | Billings, MT | 06/28/2025 | $35,771 |
| Prime Healthcare Services | Surgical Assistant PA | Denville, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $120,000 |
| North Pittsburgh Oral Surgery | Surgical Assistant | Pittsburgh, PA | 06/26/2025 | $43,827 |
| Aurora Health Care | Surgical Assistant-Surgery Center | Cole, OK | 06/25/2025 | $72,836 |
| Medstar Research Institute | Surgical Assistant | Clinton, MD | 06/25/2025 | $73,003 |
| Baptist Health South Florida | Surgical Assistant, Surgery Center Plantation, Per Diem, 07A P | Plantation, FL | 06/22/2025 | $68,036 |
| Specialty1 Partners | Surgical Assistant | Chesterfield, MI | 06/22/2025 | $35,479 |
Surgical assistant salary FAQs
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