Surgical Technologist Jobs in San Francisco, CA
Surgical technologists in San Francisco scrub in at the City's trauma center, a children's hospital in Mission Bay and private ORs on Geary and Van Ness, with posted pay of roughly $44 to $61 an hour. UCSF Health, Kaiser and Sutter's CPMC all employ techs. Here are the current openings, then who hires and how to train.
Current surgical technologist Openings in San Francisco, CA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Surgical Technologist Work in San Francisco
Operating room work in San Francisco is spread across a handful of big campuses. UCSF Health runs ORs across its campuses, including UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Mission Bay, where pediatric surgical teams work four 10-hour days. Kaiser Permanente staffs the operating rooms at its 2425 Geary Boulevard hospital, the City's Department of Public Health hires Surgical Procedures Technicians for Zuckerberg San Francisco General on Potrero Avenue, and Sutter Health's California Pacific Medical Center runs surgery at its Van Ness campus.
What sets the City apart is the mix of trauma, academic and specialty cases. Zuckerberg San Francisco General is the City's trauma center, UCSF handles complex and pediatric surgery, and senior techs are expected to cover several specialties, from orthopedics and neuro to general and GYN. Pay ranges are public under California's pay-transparency law, and many techs commute in from the East Bay on BART or from San Mateo County on I-280.
Top San Francisco Employers for Surgical Technologists
These San Francisco hospitals hire surgical technologists for their operating rooms:
- UCSF Health - the academic system hires senior surgical technologists for the pediatric OR at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Mission Bay and other UCSF sites.
- Kaiser Permanente - the San Francisco Medical Center on Geary hires Senior Surgical Technicians for its operating room, including on-call shifts.
- San Francisco Department of Public Health - the City hires Surgical Procedures Technicians (class 2310) for Zuckerberg San Francisco General.
- Sutter Health CPMC - California Pacific Medical Center hires Level II certified surgical technologists at its Van Ness campus.
Surgical Technologist Salaries in San Francisco
- Entry level: about $44 to $51 per hour, the starting range for City and private hospital roles.
- Experienced: roughly $51 to $58 per hour for techs with two or more years of scrub experience.
- Senior: about $58 to $61 or more per hour at the top of posted private hospital ranges, before sign-on bonuses.
These are estimates drawn from posted ranges: the City's 2310 class pays $91,624 to $111,436 a year, and CPMC Van Ness posted $51.25 to $61.24 an hour with a $10,000 sign-on bonus. Evening, on-call and weekend shifts, multi-specialty skills and a national CST credential all push pay toward the top, and Kaiser and the City set raises by union contract.
How to Become a Surgical Technologist in San Francisco
California does not license surgical technologists, so there is no state board to apply to. Employers set the bar instead: most want graduation from an accredited surgical technology program, BLS, and often the national Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) credential, which UCSF and Kaiser list as preferred. The City's 2310 class accepts a CAAHEP-accredited program or two years of acute care scrub experience. The closest accredited program is the Surgical Technology associate degree at Skyline College in San Bruno, a CAAHEP-accredited course of study that starts each fall and makes graduates eligible for the CST exam.
What the Job Involves
Surgical technologists set up the operating room before a case, sterilize and arrange instruments, and keep the sterile field intact. During surgery they pass instruments and supplies to the surgeon, anticipate the next step, count sponges and sharps with the circulating nurse, and handle specimens. After the case they help break down the room and send instruments to sterile processing.
Skills Employers Look For
- Graduation from an accredited surgical technology program
- CST certification, preferred by UCSF and Kaiser
- BLS certification
- Strong sterile technique and instrument knowledge
- Experience across several specialties, such as ortho, neuro, general and GYN
- Calm focus during trauma and long cases
Career Path and Advancement
New San Francisco techs often start on evening or on-call shifts, then move to senior surgical technologist once they can scrub complex cases in more than one specialty, the bar UCSF and Kaiser set for senior roles. From there techs move into specialty teams such as pediatrics at Benioff Children's or trauma at Zuckerberg San Francisco General, take on training new staff, or go back to school for nursing or surgical first assisting.
Related Careers in San Francisco
If operating room work interests you, these related San Francisco roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do surgical technologists need a license in San Francisco?
No. California has no state license for surgical technologists. Hospitals set their own requirements, usually an accredited program and BLS, and many prefer the national CST credential.
How much do surgical techs make in San Francisco?
Posted ranges run from about $44 an hour at the City's starting step to about $61 an hour at the top of CPMC's range. Sign-on bonuses, evening shifts and multi-specialty experience can push total pay higher.
Where can I train to be a surgical technologist near San Francisco?
Skyline College in San Bruno offers a CAAHEP-accredited Surgical Technology associate degree that prepares graduates for the CST exam. It admits students once a year for a fall start, and you need general education units before you begin.
Can I get a surgical tech job in San Francisco without certification?
Sometimes. The City's Surgical Procedures Technician class accepts two years of acute care scrub experience in place of a program, and Kaiser and UCSF list CST as preferred rather than required. Senior roles still expect at least two years of OR experience.
What shifts do surgical techs work in San Francisco?
It depends on the hospital. UCSF's pediatric OR runs four 10-hour day shifts, CPMC Van Ness has posted evening shifts with every other weekend, and Kaiser hires on-call techs for days and evenings.
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