Surgical Technologist Jobs in San Diego, CA: Pay and Who's Hiring

In San Diego, the May 2025 median for surgical technologists is about $82.3K, 27% over the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $66.7K to $96.4K.

Pay

The median is the middle of surgical technologists already employed, not a starting wage. The 25th is the lower quarter of that group. The 75th is what the upper quarter already earns.

Percentile	Metro	CA	U.S.
25th	$66,740	$64,380	$54,690
Median	$82,260	$81,310	$64,650
75th	$96,390	$99,260	$79,750

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Hiring difficulty and demand

Hiring difficulty

6.3

Metro employment

1,110

National growth, 2025 to 2035

National openings a year

7.1 thousand

This is the same score as the free check.

Who's hiring

Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, 8 campuses
Scripps Health, 4 campuses
Bh-sdopco, 2 campuses
Coast Center For Orthopedic and Arthroscopic Surgery, 2 campuses
Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, 2 campuses
Palomar Health, 2 campuses

Campuses on file in the provider extract, not live job ads.

License and training

Most states do not license surgical technologists, but several require certification or registration. Employers often want the CST from NBSTSA. Confirm the rule in your state.

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, surgical technologists

The work

You open the case, count instruments and sponges, and pass what the surgeon needs before they ask for it. Then you count everything again before the incision is closed.

Call and add-on cases are common in hospitals, including nights and weekends. Surgery centers usually run a tighter and steadier daytime schedule.

Nearby metros

Riverside, CA · 79 miles
Los Angeles, CA · 111 miles
Oxnard, CA · 153 miles
Lake Havasu City, AZ · 200 miles

Related roles

One manager hiring: Hire a Surgical Technologist in San Diego.

Surgical Technologists hiring pages

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Questions

Who hires surgical technologists in San Diego?

Hospitals and surgery centers hire surgical technologists in San Diego. Organizations on file in the provider extract include Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, Scripps Health, Bh-sdopco.

Do I need certification as a surgical tech in California?

Some states require it. Check the California rule before you start in San Diego.

What should a surgery center in San Diego weigh when hiring?

Ask which cases the tech scrubs alone. San Diego has slightly fewer of these workers than a typical metro. This metro is within 3 percent of the California median.