Surgical Technologist Salary – How Much Can I Make and When Can I Start
Surgical technology is a rewarding career field with a growing demand. Growing demand means job security which is very important in today’s economic climate. If you are considering entering this field you may want to know what a surgical technologist salary would be and that is one of the questions we’re going to help you answer.
According to a popular information website that gathers data from human resources departments across the country, the median surgical technologist salary in the United States is $39,870 per year. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the number at $38,740 but their most recent data was compiled back in May of 2008. At this time, they stated that the median range was anywhere from $32,490 to $46,910.
The amount of money you can make as a surgical technologist will vary somewhat depending on where you live and work. People that live in an area with a higher cost of living will typically be on the higher end of the pay scale and vice versa. The states that currently pay the most for this position are Nevada, Connecticut, California, Hawaii and Alaska. With a salary range of approximately $45,000 annually in Nevada to $50,000 annually in Alaska.
The amount of pay will also vary somewhat depending on what type of setting you work in. Surgical technologists work mostly in hospitals but may also work in dentist offices, physicians offices, outpatient care centers and a number of other places and the salary will vary a bit from one place to another. Your salary will also vary depending on the number of hours you work, the responsibilities your position will require and your level of education and/or work experience.
In addition to your surgical tech salary, many employers also offer generous benefits packages including paid time off for vacation and sick leave, health, vision and dental benefits, life insurance and even a retirement program. Some employers may even provide tuition reimbursement for your certification training.
The salary that a surgical technologist can earn is pretty good especially when you consider how quickly you can get into this field. You don’t need to go to medical school for 8 to 10 years and you don’t need to become a registered nurse. To become certified to work in this field you will need to complete a certification training program but these programs can be completed in two years or less, you may even be ready to work in as little as nine months. At this time certification is not always required but most employers will require it and many states are actually working on passing legislation that will require all surgical techs to be certified by completing courses from a school approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Becoming a surgical tech allows you to work alongside doctors, dentists, nurses and other healthcare professionals assisting them and helping patients. It is a rewarding and fairly lucrative career field with plenty of job security. In addition to all of that you can be trained and ready to work very quickly which makes it a very attractive career choice for a lot of people.
