29 Series · SOC 29-9093
Surgical Assistants Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $66,800
- Median / year
- $107,610
- Top 10% earn
- +5.1%
- Growth '23–'33
- 22,270
- US workers
Surgical Assistants earn a median of $66,800 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $66,800, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $39,690 (10th percentile) to $107,610 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 22,270 US workers. District of Columbia pays the most ($123,390), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Surgical Assistants earn a median of $66,800, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 59% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks #53 of 71 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 5.1% by 2033.
- $66,800
- Median annual wage
- Top 41%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #53 of 71
- in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- 2.7×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: District of Columbia at $123,390. Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
Surgical Assistants (SOC 29-9093) pays a national median of $66,800 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $39,690 at the 10th percentile to $107,610 at the 90th, with a mean of $72,710 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 22,270 Americans work in this occupation across 45 reporting states and 96 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +5.1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as about average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,600 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Postsecondary nondegree award. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.7 per 100,000 and injury rate of 1.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. District of Columbia pays the highest state median at $123,390, which is +85% above the national figure. The top metro is Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ at $161,710 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$66,800
per year
Median Hourly
$32.11/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$72,710
average
Employment
22,270
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Surgical Assistants pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$66,800 Top 41% higher than 59% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 29-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Surgical Assistants; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 25 29-series occupations with growth data, Surgical Assistants sits on the faster-growing side at +5.1% growth and $66,800 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+5.1%
About average
Annual Openings
1,600
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.7/100K
Injury Rate
1.5/100
Danger Index
6.4/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Surgical Assistants roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Verify the identity of patient or operative site.
- ▸ Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
- ▸ Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field.
- ▸ Coordinate or participate in the positioning of patients, using body stabilizing equipment or protective padding to provide appropriate exposure for the procedure or to protect against nerve damage or circulation impairment.
- ▸ Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
- ▸ Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.
- ▸ Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers.
- ▸ Discuss with surgeon the nature of the surgical procedure, including operative consent, methods of operative exposure, diagnostic or laboratory data, or patient-advanced directives or other needs.
- ▸ Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures.
- ▸ Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$39,690
25th Percentile
$50,170
Median
$66,800
75th Percentile
$88,010
90th Percentile
$107,610
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 45 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $123,390 | +85% above national |
| 2 | Arizona | $111,170 | +66% above national |
| 3 | Colorado | $107,440 | +61% above national |
| 4 | Nevada | $100,820 | +51% above national |
| 5 | New Jersey | $90,710 | +36% above national |
| 6 | South Carolina | $85,580 | +28% above national |
| 7 | Kentucky | $84,600 | +27% above national |
| 8 | Tennessee | $81,640 | +22% above national |
| 9 | Oregon | $80,450 | +20% above national |
| 10 | Illinois | $80,210 | +20% above national |
| 11 | Virginia | $78,910 | +18% above national |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $78,030 | +17% above national |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $77,670 | +16% above national |
| 14 | Ohio | $77,450 | +16% above national |
| 15 | Minnesota | $75,950 | +14% above national |
| 16 | Connecticut | $67,580 | +1% above national |
| 17 | Montana | $67,370 | +1% above national |
| 18 | Iowa | $66,030 | 1% below national |
| 19 | Washington | $65,440 | 2% below national |
| 20 | Texas | $64,930 | 3% below national |
| 21 | Florida | $62,550 | 6% below national |
| 22 | California | $62,540 | 6% below national |
| 23 | New Mexico | $62,010 | 7% below national |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $61,900 | 7% below national |
| 25 | Alaska | $61,210 | 8% below national |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $60,550 | 9% below national |
| 27 | New York | $60,070 | 10% below national |
| 28 | North Carolina | $59,920 | 10% below national |
| 29 | Maryland | $58,130 | 13% below national |
| 30 | Kansas | $57,810 | 13% below national |
| 31 | Indiana | $56,620 | 15% below national |
| 32 | Idaho | $56,460 | 15% below national |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $56,430 | 16% below national |
| 34 | Michigan | $56,430 | 16% below national |
| 35 | Hawaii | $54,190 | 19% below national |
| 36 | Nebraska | $53,190 | 20% below national |
| 37 | West Virginia | $50,870 | 24% below national |
| 38 | Mississippi | $50,810 | 24% below national |
| 39 | Arkansas | $49,600 | 26% below national |
| 40 | Georgia | $49,520 | 26% below national |
| 41 | Missouri | $49,400 | 26% below national |
| 42 | Utah | $44,990 | 33% below national |
| 43 | Alabama | $41,710 | 38% below national |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $40,160 | 40% below national |
| 45 | Puerto Rico | $30,160 | 55% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 96 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $161,710 | +142% above national |
| 2 | Florence, SC | $133,380 | +100% above national |
| 3 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $102,730 | +54% above national |
| 4 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $102,330 | +53% above national |
| 5 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $100,820 | +51% above national |
| 6 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $99,530 | +49% above national |
| 7 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $97,800 | +46% above national |
| 8 | El Paso, TX | $94,730 | +42% above national |
| 9 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $93,380 | +40% above national |
| 10 | Colorado Springs, CO | $88,570 | +33% above national |
| 11 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $87,080 | +30% above national |
| 12 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $87,080 | +30% above national |
| 13 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $86,890 | +30% above national |
| 14 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $84,750 | +27% above national |
| 15 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $84,460 | +26% above national |
| 16 | Boulder, CO | $83,030 | +24% above national |
| 17 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $81,690 | +22% above national |
| 18 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $80,800 | +21% above national |
| 19 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $80,740 | +21% above national |
| 20 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $80,550 | +21% above national |
| 21 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $80,210 | +20% above national |
| 22 | Amarillo, TX | $79,820 | +19% above national |
| 23 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $79,240 | +19% above national |
| 24 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $79,110 | +18% above national |
| 25 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $78,980 | +18% above national |
| 26 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $78,240 | +17% above national |
| 27 | Springfield, IL | $78,210 | +17% above national |
| 28 | Jacksonville, FL | $78,050 | +17% above national |
| 29 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $77,980 | +17% above national |
| 30 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $77,570 | +16% above national |
| 31 | Rochester, MN | $76,880 | +15% above national |
| 32 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $75,950 | +14% above national |
| 33 | Salem, OR | $75,710 | +13% above national |
| 34 | Duluth, MN-WI | $75,470 | +13% above national |
| 35 | Lubbock, TX | $74,880 | +12% above national |
| 36 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $74,490 | +12% above national |
| 37 | Cleveland, OH | $74,140 | +11% above national |
| 38 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $74,080 | +11% above national |
| 39 | Madison, WI | $73,200 | +10% above national |
| 40 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $72,030 | +8% above national |
| 41 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $67,580 | +1% above national |
| 42 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $67,210 | +1% above national |
| 43 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $67,080 | same as national |
| 44 | West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $67,020 | same as national |
| 45 | Appleton, WI | $66,480 | same as national |
| 46 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $66,030 | 1% below national |
| 47 | Fort Wayne, IN | $65,910 | 1% below national |
| 48 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $65,260 | 2% below national |
| 49 | Albuquerque, NM | $65,200 | 2% below national |
| 50 | Akron, OH | $65,130 | 2% below national |
| 51 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $63,740 | 5% below national |
| 52 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $62,990 | 6% below national |
| 53 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $62,990 | 6% below national |
| 54 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $62,550 | 6% below national |
| 55 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $62,020 | 7% below national |
| 56 | Anchorage, AK | $61,210 | 8% below national |
| 57 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $60,720 | 9% below national |
| 58 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $60,410 | 10% below national |
| 59 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $59,930 | 10% below national |
| 60 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $59,920 | 10% below national |
| 61 | South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $59,230 | 11% below national |
| 62 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $58,710 | 12% below national |
| 63 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $58,370 | 13% below national |
| 64 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $56,160 | 16% below national |
| 65 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $56,120 | 16% below national |
| 66 | Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $54,390 | 19% below national |
| 67 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $54,190 | 19% below national |
| 68 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $53,990 | 19% below national |
| 69 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $52,890 | 21% below national |
| 70 | Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $51,600 | 23% below national |
| 71 | North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $51,450 | 23% below national |
| 72 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $51,420 | 23% below national |
| 73 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $51,350 | 23% below national |
| 74 | Richmond, VA | $51,030 | 24% below national |
| 75 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $50,980 | 24% below national |
| 76 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $50,810 | 24% below national |
| 77 | Ocala, FL | $50,650 | 24% below national |
| 78 | Pittsburgh, PA | $50,410 | 25% below national |
| 79 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $49,440 | 26% below national |
| 80 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $48,570 | 27% below national |
| 81 | Gainesville, GA | $48,540 | 27% below national |
| 82 | Columbia, SC | $48,160 | 28% below national |
| 83 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $48,120 | 28% below national |
| 84 | Wichita, KS | $47,830 | 28% below national |
| 85 | Springfield, MA | $47,350 | 29% below national |
| 86 | Midland, TX | $47,130 | 29% below national |
| 87 | Columbus, OH | $46,270 | 31% below national |
| 88 | Macon-Bibb County, GA | $45,910 | 31% below national |
| 89 | Athens-Clarke County, GA | $45,390 | 32% below national |
| 90 | Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $41,750 | 37% below national |
| 91 | Greenville, NC | $40,950 | 39% below national |
| 92 | Tulsa, OK | $40,160 | 40% below national |
| 93 | Oklahoma City, OK | $39,090 | 41% below national |
| 94 | Savannah, GA | $38,320 | 43% below national |
| 95 | Springfield, MO | $37,540 | 44% below national |
| 96 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $30,160 | 55% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 29 (healthcare practitioners) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Surgical Assistants make? ▼
What state pays Surgical Assistants the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Surgical Assistants? ▼
How dangerous is being a Surgical Assistants? ▼
Is Surgical Assistants a good career? ▼
How does Surgical Assistants pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Surgical Assistants? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Surgical Assistants pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $88,010/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: District of Columbia leads at $123,390/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.