San Diego offers strong opportunities for surgical technologists, scrub techs, and operating room technicians across major hospital systems and specialty surgery centers. This page highlights surgical tech jobs in San Diego along with key information about the local healthcare market.
Below you’ll find the latest surgical technologist job listings currently hiring in San Diego.
Surgical tech jobs in San Diego are concentrated within several major healthcare systems. Large employers include UC San Diego Health, Scripps Health facilities such as Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla and Scripps Mercy Hospital, and Sharp HealthCare hospitals including Sharp Memorial Hospital and Sharp Grossmont Hospital.
Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center and Rady Children’s Hospital are also major employers of scrub techs and certified surgical technologists. In addition to these hospital systems, San Diego has many ambulatory surgery centers that regularly hire operating room technicians for outpatient procedures.
According to BLS data, surgical technologists in California earn a mean annual wage of $75,940, with a median annual wage of $77,310. Entry-level surgical techs in the 10th percentile earn about $50,600, while experienced professionals in the 90th percentile earn around $100,400.
Actual pay can vary depending on experience, certification status, surgical specialty, and whether the role is within a hospital operating room or an outpatient surgery center.
California does not require state licensure or certification to work as a surgical technologist. However, most hospitals and surgical centers strongly prefer candidates who have completed an accredited surgical technology program.
Many employers also prefer candidates with the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) credential, particularly for hospital-based operating room roles.
Most surgical technologists complete an accredited surgical technology program that typically takes 12 to 24 months. Programs accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES combine classroom learning with hands-on clinical rotations in operating rooms.
Community colleges and technical schools throughout the San Diego region offer programs that prepare students for entry-level scrub tech and CST roles.
San Diego has a higher cost of living than most U.S. metro areas, particularly due to housing costs. While surgical technologist salaries are higher than the national average, budgeting for housing and transportation is an important factor for many healthcare professionals in the region.
View the latest openings in San Diego.