Surgical Tech Schools and Careers Washington WA

Get started with your new career in healthcare today and learn how to become a surgical technician/technologist (surgical tech) in Washington State.

We have information on all the top accredited surgical tech programs, certification/ licensing requirements, and salaries and employment data for aspiring surgical technicians in Washington.

Listed below are some of the schools and colleges nearest to you offering surgical tech and related programs.

You might also be interested in the following programs:

• Medical Assistant Schools in Washington
• Veterinary Tech Schools Washington
• Dental Assistant Schools Washington

How to Become a Surgical Tech in Washington

A career as a surgical technician offers great income potential and excellent job prospects with growth of over 11% projected between 2016 and 2024.

In order to become a surgical technician in the state of Washington you will need to complete an accredited surgical tech program. Surgical tech programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) as well as the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).

A high school diploma or similar is typically a requirement for admittance into such programs. Some schools may require certain subjects such as biology or math’s as a prerequisite. Additionally you may be required to undergo some background checks and health screening as part of the admittance process.

Most surgical tech programs will typically take between 9 months and 2 years to complete depending on whether it is a certificate or degree program.

Once you have graduated from an accredited program you can then choose to sit the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) certification exams to become a Certified Surgical Technologist. Certification is not essential but it is generally preferred by employers and will help greatly with career advancement.

As of yet licensing for surgical technicians is only a requirement in a small number of states including Colorado, Illinois, Washington, Indiana, and DC.

Accredited Surgical Tech Programs in Washington State

Before you enrol in any surgical tech school it is strongly recommended that you confirm that it is fully accredited.

There are currently 7 accredited surgical technician programs in Washington – listed above.

You can also view the map below for more information on surgical technician programs in Washington.

Surgical Tech Salary Washington WA

According to the most up to date Bureau of Labor Statistics data released in March 2018, the average surgical technician salary in Washington is $56,280 – 17% above the national average of $48,060.

This represents an hourly wage of $27.06.

Those in the top pay brackets for the profession in Washington earn an average salary of $75,980 whilst those in the lower pay brackets and in entry level positions earn an average of $41,780 per annum.

There are currently 2,080 persons working as surgical technicians in Washington.

Washington Surgical Tech Employment and Salaries by Metro Area

The table below details salary and employment levels for surgical technicians in the main cities and metro areas in Washington.

As can be seen from the table the highest average salaries for surgical techs in Washington are in the Kennewick-Richland area whilst the highest number of surgical tech jobs are in Tacoma-Lakewood.

Surgical Tech V’s Related Careers

The table below compares average surgical technician salary and employment in Washington with salary levels for related healthcare careers in the state.

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