When certified surgical technicians (CST) carefully assess their geography, work experience, education and training, it helps them determine their earning potential! Surgical technologists working through a healthcare staffing agency may rest assured that recruiters are there to help candidates negotiate a fair salary; however, it still pays for CSTs to know what they’re worth.
Begin by having a specific salary in mind, starting your negotiations no more than a (single digit) percentage higher than that. Research what healthcare employers in your area are paying CSTs, and see how it matches up with the median salary for surgical technologists at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For May 2013, BLS lists an average annual income of $44,420 per year, or $21.36 per hour for CSTs; this is the most recent data collected.
The next step in planning for optimal income in your surgical technology career is to go where the money is. 365 Healthcare has the distinction of being headquartered in California and offering many surgical tech jobs in the Golden State. Recent data from U.S. News & World Report reveals that California is home to the highest-earning surgical technologists.
Use the Most Current Statistics at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to Help You Negotiate Your Salary
The BLS website is a great resource for both temporary healthcare professionals and their more permanent peers. The range in clinical settings that surgical technologists work in, have different employment statistics that affect the number of hires per year, as well as how much CSTs can make in each field.
This is an overview of the areas in which surgical technologists can choose to work:
#1: General medical and surgical hospitals
They employ the greatest number of surgical techs and offer an average annual income of $43,710
#2: Physicians’ Offices:
They offer an average annual salary of $45,400
#3: Outpatient Centers:
They are offered an average annual salary of $46,870.
#4: Dental offices:
They employ the least number of surgical techs and the lowest average annual salary of approximately $43,120.
#5: Other specialties:
These encompass roughly 1,000 surgical technicians with an average annual salary of $45,270.
365 Healthcare Staffing Services Will Raise the Bar in Your Surgical Tech Career and Salary Expectations!
As a surgical technologist, your salary negotiations start high and go up from there. With the help of an experienced healthcare staffing agency, your career trajectory is right on target, letting you achieve an ideal work-life balance. Consider maximizing your earning potential by pursuing a specialization in neurosurgery, orthopedics, or plastic surgery—your rewarding surgical technology career and climb up the ranks begins by aligning your talents with the right healthcare employer. 365 Healthcare recruiters are standing by to help you make that connection—call or apply online today!