Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles Surgical Tech Jobs
Los Angeles runs one of the largest surgical job markets in the country: academic medical centers, high-volume hospital systems, and a dense layer of ambulatory surgery centers staffing operating rooms year-round. The scrub tech, OR tech, and certified surgical technologist openings below are the current LA-metro roles pulled into one feed.
Curated by
Matthew Sorensen, an executive recruiter with 15+ years and 500+ skilled-trades and healthcare placements, including OR and perioperative roles.
Hospitals and Surgery Centers Hiring in Los Angeles
LA-metro surgical techs split across three employer types: large academic systems, community hospital networks, and freestanding surgery centers. From a recruiter's chair, the academic centers carry the deepest benches and the widest specialty mix, while ASCs move faster and skew toward scheduled, single-specialty cases.
Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterHigh-volume academic ORs across most surgical specialties, from cardiac to transplant.
Academic
UCLA HealthUniversity system staffing multiple hospital campuses and specialty programs across the metro.
Academic
Keck Medicine of USCUSC's academic health system with subspecialty programs and teaching-hospital case volume.
Academic
Kaiser PermanenteIntegrated system operating ORs at several Southern California medical centers.
Health System
City of HopeCancer center running oncologic and reconstructive surgical cases.
Specialty
What Surgical Techs Earn in Los Angeles
California is one of the highest-paying states in the country for surgical technologists, and LA-metro pay generally runs above the national median. The real figure for any one role is driven by setting, specialty, certification, and shift: a CST on a cardiac or spine service in an academic center sits well above an entry scrub tech in a single-specialty ASC. Run your own number through the surgical tech salary estimator, and see how the OR specialties compare in the salary-by-specialty breakdown.
Certification in California
California doesn't license surgical technologists at the state level, but most LA hospitals prefer or require the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) credential from the NBSTSA, plus graduation from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited program. For the full path and how the credentials compare, see the CST certification guide and the surgical tech state requirements page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to work as a surgical tech in Los Angeles?
No. California doesn't require state licensure for surgical technologists, but most LA employers prefer or require the CST credential and completion of an accredited program, so certification is effectively the market standard.
Which LA employers hire the most surgical techs?
The large academic systems, Cedars-Sinai, UCLA Health, and Keck Medicine of USC, carry the deepest OR benches and widest specialty mix, while Kaiser Permanente and the metro's freestanding ASCs add steady volume. Academic centers are usually the better landing spot for new grads straight out of clinicals.
How long does it take to become a surgical tech near LA?
Most accredited programs run 12 to 24 months and combine classroom work with supervised OR clinical hours. Community colleges and technical schools across the LA metro run CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited options.
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