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Job outlook for surgical assistants in the United States
Surgical assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected surgical assistant job growth rate is 8% from 2018-2028.
About 30,100 new jobs for surgical assistants are projected over the next decade.
Surgical assistant salaries have increased 7% for surgical assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 17,022 surgical assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 28,138 active surgical assistant job openings in the US.
The average surgical assistant salary is $52,170.
Are surgical assistant jobs in demand?
Yes, surgical assistant jobs are in demand. Surgical assistant demand is projected to grow 8% from 2018 to 2028.
Surgical assistant job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of surgical assistant jobs and the average surgical assistant salary over time.
Surgical assistant jobs over time
Surgical assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17,022 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 19,624 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 22,274 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 15,368 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 15,249 | 0.00% |
Average surgical assistant salary over time
Surgical assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $52,170 | $25.08 | +2.8% |
| 2025 | $50,752 | $24.40 | --0.7% |
| 2024 | $51,118 | $24.58 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $49,784 | $23.93 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $48,915 | $23.52 | --0.5% |
Surgical assistant jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of surgical assistant job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where surgical assistants earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for surgical assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 92 | 13% |
| 2 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 2,428 | 12% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 89 | 12% |
| 4 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 347 | 11% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 132 | 10% |
| 6 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 655 | 9% |
| 7 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 600 | 9% |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 490 | 9% |
| 9 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 313 | 9% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 74 | 9% |
| 11 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,080 | 8% |
| 12 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 820 | 8% |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 551 | 8% |
| 14 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 548 | 8% |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 478 | 8% |
| 16 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 229 | 8% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 59 | 8% |
| 18 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 2,054 | 7% |
| 19 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 596 | 7% |
| 20 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 149 | 7% |
Most common cities for surgical assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyandotte | 2 | 8% | $51,540 |
| 2 | Laurel | 1 | 4% | $49,818 |
| 3 | Paducah | 1 | 4% | $47,674 |
| 4 | Chelmsford | 1 | 3% | $47,398 |
| 5 | Randallstown | 1 | 3% | $49,956 |
| 6 | Murray | 1 | 2% | $52,771 |
| 7 | Oak Park | 1 | 2% | $56,803 |
| 8 | White Plains | 1 | 2% | $62,781 |
| 9 | Clinton | 1 | 1% | $51,533 |
| 10 | Anaheim | 1 | 0% | $59,747 |
| 11 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $51,609 |
| 12 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $50,073 |
| 13 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $56,819 |
| 14 | Detroit | 1 | 0% | $51,541 |
| 15 | Fresno | 1 | 0% | $59,595 |
| 16 | Jacksonville | 1 | 0% | $47,165 |
| 17 | Miami | 1 | 0% | $47,894 |