There are so many opportunities for healthcare professionals in California, it’s no wonder this West Coast mecca is nicknamed “The Golden State.” If you think healthcare recruiters have their work cut out for them, you just might be right. California has the biggest nursing shortage in the nation, and requires many kinds of skilled medical professionals to keep up with rapid growth and change on its hilly—not to mention — hospital-filled landscape.
Flexible healthcare professionals will help bridge this employment gap. Temporary staff are often used as placeholders until a permanent placement can be trained—not a bad way to start a long and lucrative career; and easy to do in California, credited with posting the highest employment numbers for surgical techs!
But there’s more good news: The California Healthcare Foundation, a nonprofit group, reported that in 2012, the state employed more than 1.3 million people in medical jobs. Approximately 50 percent were employed in ambulatory settings, about 30 percent in hospitals, and 20 percent in skilled nursing facilities. There are 512 hospitals licensed to provide care in the state.
Here is a closer look at what surgical techs and allied healthcare professionals can expect from their California lifestyle:
- Surgical Technologists: According to BLS, the state of California lists surgical technologists as highest paid in the country, with an annual income of $57,790, as well as having the largest number of surgical techs on the job: 9,440!
- For other allied healthcare professionals: Employers in sunny locales like Los Angeles, Pasadena and Torrance, California paid their sterile processing technicians the highest salaries in the nation: $42,720 in 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The supply of occupational, physical, respiratory, and speech-language pathologists all increased significantly between 2001 and 2012.
Are you Ready to Accept a Healthcare Job in California?
Hospitals and clinics looking to fill their short-term jobs in sterile tech and surgical technology offer competitive salaries that more than keep up with the cost of living in California. Better yet, your healthcare recruiter can often arrange a housing stipend that lets you keep more discretionary income in your pocket, or aggressively save for your retirement. Call 310-436-3650 or apply online to connect with a recruiter today!
