facebook tracking Surgical Assistant salary in California (2025): how much surgical assistants make, by city

How much do surgical assistants make in California?

What surgical assistants earn in California and its metro areas, compared with the rest of the country (May 2025 BLS data).

May 2025#21 of 43 states
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See also Surgical Assistant pay nationally All healthcare pay in California
Median pay in California
$62,540

a year, or $30.07 an hour. That is 6% less than the national median of $66,800.

The middle half of surgical assistants in California earn $59,630 to $72,030.

Pay range in California
Bottom 10% earn under
$56,100
25th percentile
$59,630
Median
$62,540
75th percentile
$72,030
Top 10% earn over
$72,030
Rank among states
#21 of 43

California pays surgical assistants more than 22 of the other 42 states. Highest: Arizona ($111,170).

Jobs in California
1,210

0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the state, 0.47× the U.S. concentration.

Surgical Assistant pay in California cities

Metro and rural (nonmetropolitan) areas as BLS defines them.. Click a column to sort.

AreaPay a yearHourlyJobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $72,030 $34.63 –
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States with similar surgical assistant pay

Texas $64,930 median a year · +4% vs California Florida $62,550 median a year New Mexico $62,010 median a year · −1% vs California Rhode Island $61,900 median a year · −1% vs California Alaska $61,210 median a year · −2% vs California Pennsylvania $60,550 median a year · −3% vs California

Other healthcare salaries in California

Home Health and Personal Care Aides $34,320 median a year · 970,150 jobs Registered Nurses $140,270 median a year · 338,940 jobs Medical Assistants $49,660 median a year · 117,060 jobs Nursing Assistants $47,630 median a year · 110,060 jobs Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $79,750 median a year · 82,850 jobs Dental Assistants $50,110 median a year · 56,220 jobs Pharmacy Technicians $55,110 median a year · 39,860 jobs Pharmacists $164,610 median a year · 34,030 jobs Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians $76,010 median a year · 29,210 jobs Physical Therapists $124,190 median a year · 26,580 jobs Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other $60,390 median a year · 26,540 jobs Physicians, All Other $281,590 median a year · 25,530 jobs
All healthcare salaries in California

Questions about surgical assistant pay in California

How much does a surgical assistant make in California?

Surgical Assistants in California earned a median of $62,540 a year ($30.07 an hour) in May 2025, 6% less than the national median of $66,800. The middle half earned $59,630 to $72,030.

How does California rank for surgical assistant pay?

California ranks #21 of 43 states for surgical assistants pay. Arizona pays the most, at $111,170 a year. Pay figures don't account for differences in cost of living.

How many surgical assistants work in California?

About 1,210 people worked as surgical assistants in California in May 2025, or 0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the state.

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries. Median pay is the middle wage; where BLS publishes no median, the average (mean) is shown, marked "(avg)". Values marked "+" are above the most BLS reports exactly. Pay doesn't reflect cost of living, overtime or shift differentials.