Surgical assistant earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level surgical assistant earnings begin at:

$31.09 per hour

$64,670 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level surgical assistant earnings begin at:

$25.62 per hour

$53,290 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level surgical assistant earnings begin at:

$21.79 per hour

$45,330 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level surgical assistant earnings begin at:

$18.71 per hour

$38,920 per year

10th percentile

Starting level surgical assistant earnings begin at:

$17.70 per hour

$36,810 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Surgical assistant salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Wyoming $80,520
Delaware $78,650
Washington $62,090
Maine $61,490
Massachusetts $60,500
California $60,390
Oregon $60,390
New York $60,320
Hawaii $59,900
Minnesota $59,540
Vermont $59,470
Colorado $59,430
New Jersey $58,300
Rhode Island $57,800
New Hampshire $57,580
Arizona $56,370
District of Columbia $55,920
Kansas $54,180
Alaska $54,070
South Dakota $52,970
Montana $51,620
West Virginia $51,580
Wisconsin $51,350
Connecticut $51,030
Illinois $49,930
Nevada $49,620
North Dakota $49,480
Kentucky $49,410
Georgia $49,310
Tennessee $49,180
Michigan $48,520
Indiana $47,960
Iowa $47,910
Texas $47,870
Maryland $47,750
Ohio $47,570
Utah $47,490
Virginia $47,340
Idaho $47,220
Pennsylvania $46,720
North Carolina $46,480
Nebraska $46,140
Missouri $46,040
Florida $45,760
Oklahoma $45,330
South Carolina $44,840
New Mexico $44,260
Alabama $43,600
Arkansas $42,820
Louisiana $39,730
Mississippi $39,010
Puerto Rico $26,220

How much does a Surgical Assistant earn?

Surgical assistant salaries can vary greatly depending on experience, education, region, type of employer, and area of concentration (i.e., orthopedic, cardiovascular, or neurosurgery, etc.). According to a survey conducted by the Association of Surgical Assistants (ASA), the average base salary for the Surgical Assistant is approximately $50-60,000/yr. This salary report does not include call pay, shift differential, or overtime.

According to a survey published by the National Surgical Assistant Association (NSAA), “entry level CSA's (less than one year of experience) typically started at a hospital at approximately $23-$25 an hour with increments up to $45 an hour as experience increased for those hospitals that pay hourly.” Many surgical assistants will have opportunities for salary increases through shift differential, on call, and overtime opportunities.

How do surgical assistant salaries compare to similar careers?

Surgical assistants earn about the same as related careers in Oklahoma. On average, they make less than cardiovascular technologists and technicians but more than paramedics.

Career Median Salary
Cardiovascular technologist and technician salary $45K
Medical records technician salary $53K
Medical appliance technician salary $50K
Endoscopy technician salary $50K
Exercise physiologist salary $49K
Ophthalmic medical technologist salary $45K
Neurodiagnostic technologist salary $45K
Surgical assistant salary $45K
Community health worker salary $46K
Paramedic salary $47K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)