Best Surgical Tech Programs in California (2026)

Quick answer: Surgical technologists in California earn a median of $81,310 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited surgical technologist schools in California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Looking for surgical technologist schools in California? The programs below combine classroom instruction with hands-on practice. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $81,310 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

California Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$81,310BLS OEWS, May 2025
California pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$49,140 to $115,740BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying California metro for this fieldSan Jose, CA, $106,840BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+4.5% growth, about 7,000 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment11,920 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
California location quotient0.87BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Surgical technologist Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the California figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 142 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 11 of them carry a score. 1 does not have enough federal outcome data to score, and appears last rather than being hidden.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

CBD College

Los Angeles, CA 119.8 miles away BOC Score 58.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 71.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 499
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,889 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Concorde Career College-North Hollywood

North Hollywood, CA 107.0 miles away BOC Score 57.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 76.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 387
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,837 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Premiere Career College

Irwindale, CA 127.5 miles away BOC Score 55.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 48.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 117
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,238 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Glendale Career College

Glendale, CA 114.2 miles away BOC Score 51.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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  • 240 North Brand Boulevard Lower Level Glendale, CA 91203
  • (818) 243-1131
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 289
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,064 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

American Career College-Anaheim

Anaheim, CA 140.1 miles away BOC Score 44.0
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Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 70.2%
  • Programs offered: 15
  • Annual completions: 1305
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,969 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

American Career College-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 116.7 miles away BOC Score 43.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 73.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 13
  • Annual completions: 1474
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,969 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

North-West College-West Covina

West Covina, CA 129.6 miles away BOC Score 43.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 66.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 518
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $39,201 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Glendale Career College-North-West College-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 28.1 miles away BOC Score 42.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 49.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 8
  • Annual completions: 50
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,064 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

North-West College-Anaheim

Anaheim, CA 141.5 miles away BOC Score 40.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 61.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 11
  • Annual completions: 227
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $40,350 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 26.5 miles away BOC Score 39.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 52.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 23
  • Annual completions: 769
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,211 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

North-West College-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 137.1 miles away BOC Score 33.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 58.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 335
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $40,350 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

San Joaquin Valley College-Fresno

Fresno, CA 97.6 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 55.6%
  • Programs offered: 8
  • Annual completions: 315
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,211 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Surgical Technologist Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Surgical Technologists
Surgical Technologists annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $45940, P25 $54690, P50 $64650, P75 $79750, P90 $96940.10th$45,94025th$54,69050th (median)$64,65075th$79,75090th$96,940
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Surgical Technologists annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$45,940
25th$54,690
50th (median)$64,650
75th$79,750
90th$96,940
Projected employment growth, United States, Surgical Technologists, 2024-2034
Surgical Technologists employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 115600; 2034 projected employment 120800; percent change +4.5%.2024115,600 jobs2034 (proj.)120,800 jobsChange: +4.5%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Surgical Technologists employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
2024115,600
2034 projected120,800
Percent change+4.5%


Frequently Asked Questions

How long does surgical technologist training take in California?

Surgical technologist certificate programs in California typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do surgical technologists earn in California?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), surgical technologists in California earned a median annual wage of approximately $81,310. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $49,140 to $115,740 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many surgical technologist schools are in California?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)