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Best states for a surgical first assistant
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a surgical first assistant at UCHealth, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for surgical first assistants that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research found that Texas is the best state for surgical first assistants, while New Jersey and New York are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Texas has a median salary of $64,509 and New Jersey has the highest median salary among all 50 states for surgical first assistants.
The median salary for surgical first assistants in Texas is $64,509. Compare that to the median salary in Alabama of $43,995, which ranked worst for surgical first assistants, and you can see how your location is important for your career.Texas is the best state, and Stafford is the city with the highest pay for surgical first assistants.
10 best states for surgical first assistants in 2026
1. Texas
Total surgical first assistant jobs: 1,068 Average annual salary: $64,509 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
2. New Jersey
Total surgical first assistant jobs: 237 Average annual salary: $81,077 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
3. New Mexico
Total surgical first assistant jobs: 80 Average annual salary: $65,745 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
4. New York
Total surgical first assistant jobs: 328 Average annual salary: $80,561 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 0.66
5. Nevada
Total surgical first assistant jobs: 80 Average annual salary: $65,077 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
6. Connecticut
Total surgical first assistant jobs: 164 Average annual salary: $65,246 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
7. Kansas
Total surgical first assistant jobs: 100 Average annual salary: $62,719 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
8. Michigan
Total surgical first assistant jobs: 288 Average annual salary: $59,811 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
9. Illinois
Total surgical first assistant jobs: 326 Average annual salary: $63,901 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 0.71
10. New Hampshire
Total surgical first assistant jobs: 94 Average annual salary: $59,064 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
Surgical first assistant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a surgical first assistant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a surgical first assistant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $64,509 | $40,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,068 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $81,077 | $44,000 | 9,005,644 | 237 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $65,745 | $43,000 | 2,088,070 | 80 |
| 4 | New York | $80,561 | $44,000 | 19,849,399 | 328 |
| 5 | Nevada | $65,077 | $43,000 | 2,998,039 | 80 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $65,246 | $35,000 | 3,588,184 | 164 |
| 7 | Kansas | $62,719 | $41,000 | 2,913,123 | 100 |
| 8 | Michigan | $59,811 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 288 |
| 9 | Illinois | $63,901 | $40,000 | 12,802,023 | 326 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $59,064 | $31,000 | 1,342,795 | 94 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $66,373 | $47,000 | 1,427,538 | 38 |
| 12 | California | $68,404 | $44,000 | 39,536,653 | 907 |
| 13 | Iowa | $61,771 | $40,000 | 3,145,711 | 105 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $54,559 | $33,000 | 6,715,984 | 381 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $57,784 | $34,000 | 4,684,333 | 133 |
| 16 | Delaware | $65,789 | $36,000 | 961,939 | 10 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $64,335 | $34,000 | 1,059,639 | 26 |
| 18 | Alaska | $59,587 | $47,000 | 739,795 | 37 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $54,175 | $34,000 | 5,795,483 | 285 |
| 20 | Oklahoma | $58,118 | $38,000 | 3,930,864 | 88 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $53,872 | $30,000 | 12,805,537 | 573 |
| 22 | Ohio | $55,840 | $33,000 | 11,658,609 | 352 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $56,360 | $36,000 | 3,004,279 | 79 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $55,681 | $33,000 | 2,984,100 | 85 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $56,133 | $32,000 | 10,273,419 | 381 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $62,071 | $32,000 | 6,859,819 | 317 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $56,440 | $33,000 | 1,815,857 | 42 |
| 28 | Arizona | $53,073 | $35,000 | 7,016,270 | 282 |
| 29 | Maryland | $63,204 | $35,000 | 6,052,177 | 143 |
| 30 | Utah | $58,275 | $40,000 | 3,101,833 | 68 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $51,220 | $35,000 | 755,393 | 42 |
| 32 | Colorado | $54,367 | $37,000 | 5,607,154 | 261 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $62,468 | $35,000 | 693,972 | 38 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $53,728 | $35,000 | 5,576,606 | 251 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $51,525 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 165 |
| 36 | Montana | $52,030 | $37,000 | 1,050,493 | 48 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $54,778 | $38,000 | 579,315 | 14 |
| 38 | Georgia | $55,041 | $32,000 | 10,429,379 | 334 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $51,542 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 75 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $52,006 | $29,000 | 5,024,369 | 169 |
| 41 | Florida | $45,390 | $24,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,177 |
| 42 | Missouri | $51,575 | $33,000 | 6,113,532 | 195 |
| 43 | Maine | $42,790 | $22,000 | 1,335,907 | 66 |
| 44 | Washington | $48,073 | $32,000 | 7,405,743 | 342 |
| 45 | Oregon | $50,191 | $33,000 | 4,142,776 | 149 |
| 46 | Vermont | $52,734 | $28,000 | 623,657 | 12 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $50,249 | $34,000 | 869,666 | 23 |
| 48 | Idaho | $46,643 | $32,000 | 1,716,943 | 61 |
| 49 | Indiana | $43,674 | $26,000 | 6,666,818 | 260 |
| 50 | Virginia | $50,219 | $28,000 | 8,470,020 | 198 |
| 51 | Alabama | $43,995 | $26,000 | 4,874,747 | 62 |
Highest paying states for surgical first assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. Surgical First Assistant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $64,509 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $81,077 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $65,745 |
| 4 | New York | $80,561 |
| 5 | Nevada | $65,077 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $65,246 |
| 7 | Kansas | $62,719 |
| 8 | Michigan | $59,811 |
| 9 | Illinois | $63,901 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $59,064 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $66,373 |
| 12 | California | $68,404 |
| 13 | Iowa | $61,771 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $54,559 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $57,784 |
| 16 | Delaware | $65,789 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $64,335 |
| 18 | Alaska | $59,587 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $54,175 |
| 20 | Oklahoma | $58,118 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $53,872 |
| 22 | Ohio | $55,840 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $56,360 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $55,681 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $56,133 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $62,071 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $56,440 |
| 28 | Arizona | $53,073 |
| 29 | Maryland | $63,204 |
| 30 | Utah | $58,275 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $51,220 |
| 32 | Colorado | $54,367 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $62,468 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $53,728 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $51,525 |
| 36 | Montana | $52,030 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $54,778 |
| 38 | Georgia | $55,041 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $51,542 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $52,006 |
| 41 | Florida | $45,390 |
| 42 | Missouri | $51,575 |
| 43 | Maine | $42,790 |
| 44 | Washington | $48,073 |
| 45 | Oregon | $50,191 |
| 46 | Vermont | $52,734 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $50,249 |
| 48 | Idaho | $46,643 |
| 49 | Indiana | $43,674 |
| 50 | Virginia | $50,219 |
| 51 | Alabama | $43,995 |
Surgical first assistant best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025