Hawaii pays surgical technologists a mean of $64,070, but housing costs rank among the highest in the country, so the effective buying power of that wage is lower than in almost any mainland market. Nearly all hiring sits on Oahu, with steady but thinner volume on the neighbor islands. Browse live scrub tech and OR technician openings across Hawaii below.
Written by Matthew Sorensen, executive recruiter with 15+ years and 500+ skilled trades and healthcare placements, including OR and perioperative roles. Author of four books on hiring and interviewing.
Where Surgical Techs Work in Hawaii
Hawaii is a small market, and small markets behave differently from mainland ones. Openings are infrequent, applicant pools are shallow, and a single opening at a Honolulu system can draw candidates who have been waiting on it for months. Neighbor island staffing gaps are the exception, and they occasionally come with relocation incentives.
The Queen's Health Systems
Oahu
One of the two systems operating the state's largest hospitals, with the deepest OR volume on Oahu.
Straub Medical Center
Honolulu
Part of Hawaii Pacific Health. Runs a high-volume surgical program in Honolulu.
Employs surgical technologists in smaller, steady volumes. Neighbor island openings surface less often but face less competition.
Hilo Medical Center
Big Island
The Big Island's OR employer. Staffing gaps here occasionally carry relocation incentives that Honolulu postings do not.
Surgical Tech Salaries in Hawaii
01
$64,070 mean annual
The BLS mean wage for surgical technologists in Hawaii. It sits above the national median in raw dollars.
02
Read it against housing, not against the mainland
Hawaii's cost of living is the highest in the nation by most measures, driven by housing and imported goods. A $64,000 wage in Honolulu covers considerably less ground than the same figure anywhere on the mainland. Model take-home against actual local rent before you accept.
03
What moves you up the range
Honolulu's major systems generally pay above neighbor island facilities. Beyond that, CST certification, facility type, and specialty drive the number, and call pay plus night differential compound on base. Run yours through the surgical tech salary estimator.
Certification and Training in Hawaii
Hawaii has no mandatory state licensure for surgical techs, but Queen's Health Systems and Hawaii Pacific Health both expect CST certification and accredited program completion, and in a market this small employers can afford to be selective, so treat the credential as required rather than preferred. Accredited pathways in-state are limited, with Kapiolani Community College offering one of the primary CAAHEP options, which is why many candidates complete a mainland program before relocating. Details in the CST certification guide and the state requirements page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to work as a surgical tech in Hawaii?
No. Hawaii has no mandatory state licensure requirement for surgical technologists. Both Queen's Health Systems and Hawaii Pacific Health expect CST certification and accredited program completion as a practical standard, and because the market is small, employers can afford to be selective. Treat certification as required.
Should I relocate to Hawaii for a surgical tech job?
Only after you have modeled the numbers. The mean wage of $64,070 sits above the national median in raw dollars, but Hawaii's housing and cost of living are the highest in the country. Ask for the actual pay range in writing and price local rent before you move. Candidates who relocate on lifestyle alone are the ones who leave within two years.
Are there more openings on Oahu or the neighbor islands?
Oahu, by a wide margin, because that is where the largest hospital systems operate. Neighbor island facilities on Maui and the Big Island employ surgical technologists in smaller, steady volumes, and their staffing gaps occasionally create openings with relocation incentives that Honolulu postings do not carry.
