The median Surgical First Assistant salary is $64.00 per hour, or $133,120 per year, based on 347 job postings across 55 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$64.00
Median hourly
$133,120
Annual salary
$46-$81
Pay range
55
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Surgical First Assistant earns $64.00/hr, with most posted roles landing between $55.00 and $74.55/hr.
Recent posted pay is down, with the last 30 days showing -7.8% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: Atlanta, GEORGIA is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Daytona Beach, FLORIDA sits near the lower end.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
-7.8%
Current median: $64.00/hr
Prior period: $69.45/hr
Job openings
-5%
57 recent postings
Previous period: 60 postings
Daily pay signal
$54.00/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Surgical First Assistant postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is moving down in recent listings, falling from $69.45/hr to $64.00/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$45.60
$94,848/yr
Median
$64.00
$133,120/yr
Top earners
$81.39
$169,291/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $64.50/hr | 56 |
Mar 2026 | $69.15/hr | 61 |
Feb 2026 | $61.00/hr | 48 |
Jan 2026 | $66.00/hr | 65 |
Dec 2025 | $70.03/hr | 64 |
Nov 2025 | $59.00/hr | 53 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
Estimated from national data
~$68.04
—
Estimated from national data
~$54.11
—
8 postings · 3 companies
$56.50
$50-$59
Estimated from national data
~$72.97
—
5 postings · 3 companies
$89.50
$22-$94
Estimated from national data
~$56.55
—
Estimated from national data
~$56.13
—
Estimated from national data
~$71.23
—
Estimated from national data
~$57.04
—
22 postings · 4 companies
$62.00
$62-$64
35 postings · 14 companies
$79.36
$78-$80
Estimated from national data
~$54.70
—
Estimated from national data
~$63.16
—
25 postings · 15 companies
$60.00
$49-$71
Estimated from national data
~$72.00
—
Estimated from national data
~$71.29
—
Estimated from national data
~$58.28
—
Estimated from national data
~$54.21
—
18 postings · 11 companies
$73.80
$73-$77
Estimated from national data
~$71.37
—
9 postings · 4 companies
$55.00
$55-$58
Estimated from national data
~$65.02
—
39 postings · 15 companies
$74.55
$66-$82
8 postings · 1 companies
$59.00
$59-$59
Estimated from national data
~$54.60
—
5 postings · 3 companies
$67.00
$67-$69
Estimated from national data
~$60.09
—
Estimated from national data
~$61.38
—
5 postings · 3 companies
$51.50
$52-$90
Estimated from national data
~$59.07
—
Estimated from national data
~$69.63
—
Estimated from national data
~$58.40
—
Estimated from national data
~$67.21
—
20 postings · 7 companies
$57.00
$57-$75
5 postings · 3 companies
$69.75
$70-$70
11 postings · 5 companies
$52.50
$50-$53
Estimated from national data
~$62.02
—
Estimated from national data
~$62.15
—
Estimated from national data
~$71.71
—
Estimated from national data
~$68.13
—
5 postings · 4 companies
$77.00
$71-$78
Estimated from national data
~$69.05
—
6 postings · 2 companies
$46.00
$43-$51
5 postings · 2 companies
$44.00
$43-$74
Estimated from national data
~$64.54
—
Estimated from national data
~$56.64
—
32 postings · 6 companies
$64.00
$59-$68
Estimated from national data
~$58.35
—
Estimated from national data
~$57.15
—
16 postings · 7 companies
$70.95
$68-$73
Estimated from national data
~$67.61
—
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Surgical First Assistant salaries.
Atlanta
Georgia · 34 postings
$79.43/hr
Kalamazoo
Michigan · 28 postings
$74.84/hr
Metairie
Louisiana · 11 postings
$73.65/hr
Oconomowoc
Wisconsin · 13 postings
$71.90/hr
Daytona Beach
Florida · 10 postings
$62.00/hr
Daytona Beach
Florida · 10 postings
$62.00/hr
Oconomowoc
Wisconsin · 13 postings
$71.90/hr
Metairie
Louisiana · 11 postings
$73.65/hr
Kalamazoo
Michigan · 28 postings
$74.84/hr
Atlanta
Georgia · 34 postings
$79.43/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Surgical First Assistant positions.
Hcs 247 Travel
6 postings
$80.46/hr
Leaderstat
19 postings
$79.64/hr
Assured Nursing
5 postings
$77.13/hr
Genie Healthcare
7 postings
$76.40/hr
Glc On-the-go
6 postings
$75.72/hr
Nomad
149 postings
$59.00/hr
Medpro Healthcare Allied Staffing
5 postings
$71.25/hr
7 postings
$72.65/hr
Anders Group
10 postings
$74.05/hr
Ghr Healthcare - Ph Division
9 postings
$74.80/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Cvor Surgical First Assistant | 35 | $74.80/hr |
| Surgical First Assistant | 32 | $71.94/hr |
| Cvor Certified Surgical First Assistant | 25 | $77.13/hr |
| Surgical Technologist - First Assistant $2,360/wk | 17 | $59.00/hr |
| Certified Surgical First Assistant | 11 | $45.00/hr |
| Surgical Technologist - First Assistant $2,560/wk | 10 | $64.00/hr |
| Surgical Technologist - First Assistant $2,680/wk | 10 | $67.00/hr |
| Cardiovascular Surgical First Assistant | 10 | $81.53/hr |
| Surgical Technologist - First Assistant $2,280/wk | 10 | $57.00/hr |
| Cvor First Assistant (rnfa) | 9 | $84.68/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Surgical First Assistant salaries.
FAQ
The median Surgical First Assistant salary is $64.00 per hour, or $133,120 annually. Pay ranges from $45.60/hr (10th percentile) to $81.39/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 347 job postings, the highest paying states for Surgical First Assistants include California, Georgia, South Carolina. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 347 Surgical First Assistant job postings across 55 states, from 85 different healthcare employers.
Surgical First Assistant pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Surgical First Assistant pay is currently trending downward. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates decreased 7.8%.
Surgical First Assistant pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $10.55 to $17.39 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Atlanta offer $79.43/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $62.00/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Surgical First Assistants typically earn around $45.60 to $55.00 per hour ($94,848 to $114,400 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $64.00/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 347 active postings with listed compensation for Surgical First Assistant. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
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