The salary for a Surgical tech in California can range from approximately $43,000 to $52,000. This is somewhat lower than other parts of the country and should especially be considered with the current cost of living which is high in Southern California.

Cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, and Sacramento can have many more options for Surgical techs, as well as many more schools to attend. Below are some of those schools you may want to take a look at which can provide valuable training to help you get your CA degree needed to enter into the field as a technician locally or abroad. Some may not be offering a full surgical tech training course, so please check with each college.

California State University has multiple branches and locations in the following areas.

California Maritime Academy, (Vallejo)
California Polytechnic State University, (San Luis Obispo)
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, (Pomona)
Bakersfield, (Bakersfield)
Channel Islands, (Camarillo)
California State University, Chico, (Chico)
Dominguez Hills, (Carson)
East Bay, (Hayward)
Fresno, (Fresno)
Fullerton, (Fullerton)
Long Beach, (Long Beach)
Los Angeles, (Los Angeles)
Northridge, (Northridge)
Sacramento, (Sacramento)
San Bernardino, (San Bernardino)
San Marcos, (San Marcos)
Stanislaus, (Turlock)
Humboldt State University, (Arcata)
San Diego State University, (San Diego)
San Francisco State University, San Francisco
San José State University, (San Jose)
Sonoma State University, (Rohnert Park)

The University of California also has multiple locations which are listed below. If you are aware of any other locations for this college which we might have missed please inform us and we will add the new city to the list.

Berkeley (Berkeley)
Davis (Davis)
Irvine (Irvine)
Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
Merced (Merced)
Riverside (Riverside)
San Diego (La Jolla, San Diego)
San Francisco (San Francisco)
Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara-Goleta)
Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz)

The following is a list of Private colleges and Universities which should also be looked at for a Surgical tech program.

Academy of Art University, San Francisco
Allied American University
American Jewish University, Los Angeles
Anaheim University
Antioch University
Apollos University, Huntington Beach (Online)
Argosy University, Alameda, California
Art Center College of Design, Pasadena
The Art Institute of California – San Francisco, San Francisco
Azusa Pacific University, Azusa
Bethany University, Scotts Valley
Biola University, La Mirada
Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara
California Baptist University, Riverside
California Coast University, Santa Ana, California
California College of the Arts, San Francisco
California College San Diego (CCSD), San Diego
California Institute of the Arts, Valencia
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
California InterContinental University, Diamond Bar
California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks
California National University, Northridge
California University of Management and Technology, San Jose
California University of Management and Sciences, Anaheim, California [1]
California Southern University, Santa Ana (online)
Capital Bible College, Sacramento
Chapman University, Orange
CapStone University, Riverside, California/Riverside
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles
Cogswell College, Sunnyvale
Concordia University Irvine, Irvine
Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, St. Helena
West Hills, Los Angeles, California
Dominican University of California, San Rafael
Fresno Pacific University, Fresno
Golden Gate University, San Francisco
Herguan University, Sunnyvale
Holy Names University, Oakland
Hope International University, Fullerton
Humphreys College, Stockton
John F. Kennedy University, Pleasant Hill
John Paul the Great Catholic University, San Diego
Laguna College of Art and Design, Laguna Beach
La Sierra University, Riverside
Life Pacific College, San Dimas
Lincoln University, Oakland
Loma Linda University, Loma Linda
Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
Master’s College, Newhall
Mayfield College, Palm Springs and Cathedral City
Monsbey College, Watsonville
Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey
National Hispanic University, San Jose
National University (California), San Diego
NewSchool of Architecture and Design, San Diego
Northwestern Polytechnic University, Fremont
Northern Coastal College, Crescent City, California
Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont
Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles
Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena
Pacific Union College, Angwin
Pacific Western University, San Diego
Patten College, Oakland
Pepperdine University, Malibu
Remington College, San Diego
San Francisco Institute of Architecture, Berkeley
Saint Mary’s College of California, Moraga
Samuel Merritt College, Oakland
San Diego Christian College, El Cajon
San Luis Rey College, Oceanside
Santa Clara University, Santa Clara
Silicon Valley University, San Jose
Simpson University, Redding
Soka University of America, Aliso Viejo
Southern California Institute of Architecture, Los Angeles
Stanford University, Stanford
Trinity International University
Trinity Life Bible College, Sacramento
Touro University, Vallejo
TUI University, Cypress
University of La Verne, La Verne
University of Northern California, Petaluma
University of Redlands, Redlands
University of the Pacific, Stockton
University of San Diego, San Diego
University of San Francisco, San Francisco
University of Southern California, Los Angeles
University of West Los Angeles
o Inglewood
o Woodland Hills
Vanguard University of Southern California, Costa Mesa
Western Institute for Social Research, Berkeley
William Howard Taft University, Santa Ana
William Jessup University, Rocklin

If we have missed any colleges or training courses you would like to add to this list please feel free to get in touch with us so we can update it and provide the town and city the training can be taken in.

The training is relatively short with a finishing time of anywhere from 9 to 24 months depending on whether you are going to go for a diploma, certificate, or associates degree. For a full list of schools offering this program, see the end of this article.

EXPECTED EARNINGS AFTER GRADUATION
The median wage throughout the country is $38,740 in May of 2008. The middle 50% earned between $32,490 and $46,910.

THE WORK AND ENVIRONMENT
Surgical Technologists work in clean, well-lighted, cool environments. They must stand for long periods of time and remain alert during operations. At times, they may be exposed to communicable diseases and unpleasant sights, odors, and materials. Most work a 40 hour work week, although they may be on call or work nights, weekends, and holidays on a rotating basis.

I WANT TO CHECK OUT OTHER HEALTH FIELDS BEFORE DECIDING
The health field of Illinois Dental Hygienst is also a fast growing field that offers a very flexible part time schedule for many Hygienists with great pay. Another fast growing health field is Illinois MRI technician. For the shortest training time in a job that is the 2nd fastest growing field in the US, consider the Illinois CNA, otherwise known as the Illinois Certified Nursing Assistant which you can find FREE training for at many nursing homes around the country.

ILLINOIS ACCREDITED SURGICAL TRAINING SCHOOLS
1. College of DuPage – West Chicago
2. College of Lake County – Grayslake
3. Elgin Community College – Elgin
4. Illinois Central College – Peoria
5. John Wood Community College – Quincy
6. Malcolm X College – Chicago
7. Parkland College – Champaign
8. Prairie State College – Chicago Heights
9. Richland Community College – Decatur
10 Robert Morris College = Chicago
11 Rock Valley College – Rockford
12 Southern Illinois Collegiate Common Mkt Consortium – Herrin
13 Trinity College of Nursing & health Sciences – Rock Island
14 Triton College – River Grove
15 Waubonsee Community College – Sugar Grove

Getting the facts about the job market in this field is really the only way to feel confident about knowing the jobs are going to be there for you after you’ve spent the time and money in pursuing this field.

According to the Job Occupational Outlook Handbook the Surgical Technologist is listed as one of the fastest growing health occupations in the near future despite the downed economy. There are many factors that make this true and one of these is the fact that the surgical technician can be used in a variety of settings for surgeries other than the traditional hospital setting. Many surgical technicians are used in outpatient care centers as well as offices of physicians and dentists.

THE SALARY FOR SURGICAL TECHNOLOGISTS
Again, the Job Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good place to get these facts. According to the handbook in May 2008 the median annual wage was $38,740. The middle 50% earned between $32,490 and $46,910.

HOW LONG DOES THE TRAINING TAKE?
This is also encouraging as you may go for as short as 9 months to college or as long as 24 months. It depends on whether you are going for a certificate, diploma, or associates degree.
Remember, there are prerequisites to entering the program. You will need to make sure you have met these ahead of time. See the list of schools below near you and talk speak to the department head of the program for more detail or check out their website.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
This is also important to consider as you will be required to stand for long periods of time on cement in this profession. You will also be witness to surgical procedures daily that many people would prefer not to look at so these things are important to consider ahead of time.

WHAT OTHER HEALTH FIELD OPPORTUNITIES YOU MIGHT CONSIDER
If you are not sure the surgical tech route is not one you are ready to get on just yet, have you checked out the possibility of being a New York Dental Hygienist? It is a fast growing occupation that has the perk of offering part time work for full time pay. Another option is considering the field of being a New York MRI technician. The jobs are abundant in that field too. If you just want to get a job quickly in a health field right now and then work towards another field how about considering the job of New York CNA, also know as New York Certified Nursing Assistant, or New York Nurses Aide. This is the second fastest growing occupation in the nation and you can many times get your training in a few weeks for FREE.

NEW YORK ACCREDITED SURGICAL TECHNICIAN SCHOOLS
1. Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center – New York
2. Kingsborough Community College – Brooklyn
3. Long Island University – Brooklyn
4. Nassau Community College – Garden City
5. Niagara County community College – Sanborn
6. NYU Langone Medical Center – New York
7. Onondaga Community College – Syracuse
8. Stony Brook University – Stony Brook
9. SUNY Downstate Medical Center – Brooklyn
10 Trocaire College – Buffalo
11 Ulster County Board of Cooperative Ed – Port Ewen
12 Western Suffolk BOCES – Northport

According to the Job Occupational Outlook Handbook for 2010-2011, the jobs for Surgical Technologists is to grow much faster than average. The best job opportunities will be for certified technologists that are willing to relocate.

HOW MUCH TRAINING IS NEEDED?
The training programs last anywhere from 9 to 24 months and lead to a certificate, diploma, or associate’s degree.

Hospitals will continue to be the primary employer, although much faster employment growth is expected in other healthcare industries.

EARNINGS/WAGES OF A SURGICAL TECHNOLOGIST
According to the Job Occupational Outlook Handbook the median annual wages of wage-and-salry surgical technologists were $38,740 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $32,490 and $46,910. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,510, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $54,300. Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest percentage of surgical tecnologists are in the following locations:
1. Specialty hospitals (except psych and substance abuse.)
2. Outpatient care centers
3. General medical and surgical hospitals
4. Offices of physicians
5. Offices of dentists

I AM NOT SURE I WANT TO GO INTO THIS FIELD
A list of Florida schools that have the surgical technician program is below, but perhaps you may want to check out important info on some other health occupations before going further with the surgical technician program. Then you may want to consider the Florida Dental Hygienist job that allows for part-time work with a full time salary. Other possibilities are the Florida MRI technician or Florida Licensed Practical Nurse. If you want to only invest a few short weeks in training for a highly demanding job around the country that allows you to get FREE training in many places, consider the field of Florida CNA, also know as Florida Certified Nursing Assistant.

FLORIDA SURGICAL TECHNICIAN TRAINING PROGRAMS
1. Brevard Community College – Cocoa
2. Central Florida Community College – Ocala
3. Central Florida Institute – Palm Harbor
4. Concorde Career Institute – Jacksonville
5. Concorde Career Institute – Miramar
6. concorde Career Institute – Tampa
7. Daytona State College – Daytona
8. Erwin Technical Center – Tampa
9. Everest Institute – Hialeah
10 Everest Institute – Miami
11 Everest University – Tampa
12 Florida State College – Jacksonville
13 Gulf Coast Community College – Panama City
14 Indian River State College – Ft. Pierce
15 Keiser Career College – Greenacres
16 Keiser Career College – Miami Lakes
17 Keiser Career College – St. Petersburg
18 Keiser University – Port Lucie
19 Lee County High Tech Center – Cape Coral
20 Lindsey Hopkins Education Center – Miami
21 Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology – Naples
22 Manatee Technical Institute – Bradenton
23 Medvance Institute – West Palm Beach
24 North Florida Institute – Orange Park
25 Orlando Technical Education Centers – Orlando
26 Palm Beach Community College – Lake Worth
27 Pensacola Junior College – Pensacola
28 Pinellas Tech Educational Center – St. Petersburg
29 Sanford Brown Institute – Ft. Lauderdale
30 Sanford Brown Institute – Tampa
31 Santa Fe College – Gainesville
32 Sarasota County Technical Inst. – Sarasota
33 Sheridan Technical Center – Hollywood
34 Traviss Career Center – Lakeland
35 Virginia College – Pensacola

The previous mentioned schools have locations in all or in part of the following cities and towns. Here they are in no particular order, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Marietta, Roswell, Savannah and Warner Robins.

If you are wondering how the job market is for those in Georgia looking for a Surgical Tech job, there are plenty of openings at hospitals who are looking for a qualified person to take on the responsibilities. If you are just finishing high school, there are some things you should be considering before you just get a fast education online or at a local college. Consider the fact that this is a career that people will depending on accurate results. The importance of this job function to doctors can save lives. If you enjoy helping people and want to work in a fast paced environment, then this may be your option to moving up to the next level of a surgeon.

If you are looking for training in smaller towns such as Danville, Lumber City, Hazelhurst, Abbeville and other small towns, you may have to either move closer to a location with a course or program, or commute each day. The drive and will to succeed in this health career will depend much on you.

Obviously we have to factor in location and the cost of living. What would be a surgical tech salary in Houston Texas compared with that of someone living in Phoenix Arizona? The difference would probably be minimal since both cities are in the south, and in areas where pay is quite low. You would also find the same thing in Detroit Michigan since it is clearly a depressed area with the economy. However a surgical tech salary in San Diego California compared to Miami or Orlando Florida would see a big difference in pay scale.

Larger cities are also going to pay pretty evenly since there is always a need for surgical technician jobs to be filled. The current 2009 surgical technician salary doesn’t compare with a nursing job on some levels since there are quite a few more jobs open for nursing, but it does offer stability. For those wanting to compare apples to apples with an hourly job, as a surgical tech you will most likely make around 15 to 19 dollars per hour which doesn’t add up well in larger cities where you may make the same amount with no experience at all in construction.

Just like anything else, a surgical technician job requires good training and a desire to help people. Some of the other articles contained on this site cover other salaries. Find out what a surgical technician salary is in Salt Lake City Utah as well as Boise Idaho, San Antonio Texas, Greensboro and Charlotte North Carolina, Atlanta Georgia, Clevland Ohio, and many other states coming soon in a detailed list format.

The truth with the surgical technician program online is that as far as my search went, there is no such a thing. Typing “surgical technician program online” will give you a huge list of searches, but many will not be what you want. For instance, Everest College Online is often mentioned along with the online surgical technician program. The problem here is that although Everest College Online does offer many courses, it does not offer the surgical technician program online. Instead, Everest College (not online) offers the surgical technician program. There is an important difference to be noted that the college found in the search engine may offer the service, but it will not be one of the online programs that they offer.

I have seen a website that stated that there are online surgical technician programs. This is mistaken. What you can find via online is a list of information on what the surgical technician does and what type of knowledge are required. For instance, if you wanted to prepare yourself for surgical technician program, you may study some human anatomy and physiology on your own or take the course in other online institutions. In some cases, the actual school (not online) with surgical technician program may decide to ease your education by accepting this course as transfer credits.

Still, learning the surgical technician skills via computer is basically impossible. One important factor that many programs stress is the hands-on training, so even if there was an online surgical technician program that works and is recognized, the student will still have to do some real training at the actual college or hospital.

My best advice to students in the remote area is to consider the surgical technician training, but also look into other occupations in the healthcare that actually offers FULL training online. The chance is that if you try to find your way to become a surgical technician online, you may be just wasting your time instead of taking courses or doing something more productive. This job deals with someone’s life on the operating room, and I frankly doubt that you will see any online programs that will provide with you such sentiment and knowledge to become a skilled surgical technician.

If you reside near Grand Prairie, you should look into MedVance Institute in Grand Prairie, Texas. Unfortunately, the webpage does not give any information on application procedure or the courses, so in order to gather information on this institution, you should type in your information on this website and request for more information. MedVance Institute also has campuses in Houston North and Houston South.

Now, what if you do not live near any of the three cities I just mentioned? Well, you can consider Virginia College at Austin, Texas, for the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Surgical Technology. This program is extremely intensive. According to the pdf document found in the Virginia College website, the total program requires 876 credit hours in lecture, 168 hours in lab, 700 hours in clinical experience, and 98 credit hours (the last number is generally used to compare a program to another). Of course, this program is split into eight quarters during which the students learn basic courses like Anatomy and Physiology I to advanced courses like Procedures in Surgical Technology IV. Again, other than the courses itself, there is no available information for admission criteria.

Lastly, you can also consider a program in Arlington, Texas, with Concorde Career Institute. The Surgical Technology program at Concorde Career Institute at Arlington is also very thorough and meticulous, and includes about 500 hours of clinical experiences with the entire program lasting for 12-month. Upon the completion of the program from this institute, the student will be able to take the exam for Certified Surgical Technologist (CST). Now, as far as cost is concerned for this program, they ask the students to individually call them because the amount always changes.

By analyzing numerous programs in Texas, the student will be able to see that each program only explains part of what the student wants to know in their website. So, the best way to go in the search for surgical technician program is to call the schools and schedule a visit. I am positive that they will probably have more handouts and pamphlets with much more thorough information than what is available online. Therefore, take these institutions I listed and research them on your own further to see which one would fit you the best!

Ever heard of Brown Mackie College? It has campuses around the nation in United States, and fortunately for you, there is one in Tuscson (and one in Phoenix), which has a program for Surgical Technology. The program in Tucson Campus of Brown Mackie College is for receiving an Associate’s Degree. At this college, you will learn information on surgical procedures, necessary human anatomy and physiology, and surgical terms that will be crucial for the real job.

There was no specific requirement available for this program’s admission, but the general admission to the Tuscson Campus as a whole mentioned that the student would need to submit transcripts or other academic record along with any other document that the program may require. Also, the institution offers financial aid to those who qualify, and everyone is encouraged to do so. You can visit the college’s website for detailed information on the Tucson Campus in Brown Mackie College.

You may also consider the Bryman School of Arizona located at Phoenix, Arizona. Some of the benefits for enrolling in this school include a diploma upon the completion of the program, knowledge in the human anatomy and physiology, experience in dealing with surgical equipments, and even a CPR certification. The successful finish of the program also entitles the student to take NCCT (National Center for Competency Test) TECH in Surgery-Certified (TS-C). One very nice factor about the Bryman School of Arizona is that when you are finished with the coursework, you are eligible to participate in an eight-week externships at hospital, private doctor’s office, or surgicenter. This is a really great asset to the students because they can really receive hands-on experience on the field they are about to go on. For more information, the student can inquire at (800) – 729 – 4819.

Those two programs are only some of the programs that are available in Arizona. The best way to attend these schools is to consider the location and the cost, including the financial aid like that from the Tucson Campus. It is highly recommended that the interested students visit the schools and see the classroom and possibly some courses for themselves.

For those living in Florida, one possible surgical technician school in Florida is the Southwest Florida College. There are three campuses in Florida for Southwest Florida College – Ft. Meyers (877-493-5147), Tampa (877-907-2456), and Port Charlotte (877-270-9786). Other than this information, the Southwest Florida College does not provide any information online. The interested applicant must fill out an “application,” or a page with general information, to request more information about the surgical technician program.

If you do not live close to any of the three schools, then you should consider High-Tech Institute in Orlando, Florida. For more information, you can call the institute at 888-326-1985. Again, they do not provide any more information other than the number and the fact that they offer this program.

What if you are still not able to attend any program in those places? No worries. Kesier Career College offers surgical technology program at the Greenacres Main Campus, Miami Lakes branch campus, and St. Petersburg branch campus. With Keiser University, the student must have attained high school diploma or equivalent GED and successfully passed the entrance exam. The program is quite rigorous, and the student can finish the entire program in 20 months (full-time) or 29 months (part-time). The program is tough because it includes general education courses as well like American Literature and Political Science.

With the core courses (49.0 credit hours), the students will take three main types of courses – Surgical techniques and Procedures, Surgical Specialties I with Anatomy and Physiology, and Externship. In other words, the program is designed to give enough background and terminology required for surgical technology, and eventually expands to the courses that have students actually experiencing the hands-on training.

These institutions and programs are only some of the choices you have in Florida. Although I have not explicitly discussed them, examples of some other institutions in Florida include Concorde Career Colleges (offered at Jacksonville, Miramar, and Tampa) and Lincoln Technical Institute (offered at Fern Park [Orlando] and St. Petersburg). With these various choices, the interested student should research and visit them individually.