How Much Does a Surgical Tech Make in Carlsbad, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Surgical Techs in Carlsbad, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area
A typical Surgical Tech in Carlsbad, California earns $39.55 per hour, or $82,260 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,855 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $62,300, and the top 10% of earners make over $101,430.
That pay is 1% above the California figure of $81,310 and 27% above the national figure of $64,650. Carlsbad ranks 9th of 21 metro areas in California for Surgical Tech pay. About 1,110 Surgical Techs work in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area. Carlsbad is part of the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so San Diego and Chula Vista share these figures.
Surgical Tech pay in Carlsbad at a glance
- Typical pay is $39.55 an hour, or $82,260 a year.
- That is 1% above the California figure, ranking 9th of 21 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $62,300; the top 10% make over $101,430.
- Typical pay rose +50% from 2015 to 2025, against +40% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Surgical Tech make in Carlsbad?
Pay in Carlsbad runs from entry-level positions at around $29.95 an hour to more than $48.76 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Surgical Tech pay by career stage in Carlsbad
| Career stage | Carlsbad | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $62,300$29.95 an hour | $49,140$23.63 an hour | $45,940$22.09 an hour |
| First years | $66,740$32.09 an hour | $64,380$30.95 an hour | $54,690$26.29 an hour |
| Typical Surgical Tech | $82,260$39.55 an hour | $81,310$39.09 an hour | $64,650$31.08 an hour |
| Experienced | $96,390$46.34 an hour | $99,260$47.72 an hour | $79,750$38.34 an hour |
| Top 10% | $101,430$48.76 an hour | $115,740$55.64 an hour | $96,940$46.61 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area as BLS defines it
Surgical Tech pay growth in Carlsbad
Typical (median) annual wage for Surgical Techs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Surgical Tech pay in Carlsbad was $55,000 a year. By 2025 it had reached $82,260, a change of +50%, compared with +40% for California over the same years.
How Carlsbad compares with other California cities
San Jose pays Surgical Techs the most in California at $106,840 a year, $24,580 more than Carlsbad. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $61,270.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Carlsbad | Surgical Techs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose metro incl. Santa Clara · Sunnyvale | $106,840 | $51.37 | +30% | 700 |
| 2 | Vallejo | $105,260 | $50.61 | +28% | 100 |
| 3 | Napa | $102,490 | $49.27 | +25% | 60 |
| 4 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $100,130 | $48.14 | +22% | 80 |
| 5 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $99,960 | $48.06 | +22% | 120 |
| 6 | Oakland metro incl. Fremont · San Francisco | $99,390 | $47.79 | +21% | 1,440 |
| 7 | Redding | $89,940 | $43.24 | +9% | 80 |
| 8 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $82,300 | $39.57 | 0% | 170 |
| 9 | Carlsbad metro incl. San Diego · Chula Vista | $82,260 | $39.55 | this city | 1,110 |
| 10 | Los Angeles metro incl. Anaheim · Long Beach | $81,580 | $39.22 | -1% | 3,440 |
| 11 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $80,730 | $38.81 | -2% | 100 |
| 12 | Oxnard metro incl. Thousand Oaks · Ventura | $80,060 | $38.49 | -3% | 200 |
| 13 | Modesto | $79,950 | $38.44 | -3% | 120 |
| 14 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $78,510 | $37.75 | -5% | 170 |
| 15 | Delano metro incl. Bakersfield | $78,470 | $37.72 | -5% | 240 |
| 16 | Chico | $78,050 | $37.53 | -5% | 90 |
| 17 | San Bernardino | $77,490 | $37.26 | -6% | 1,190 |
| 18 | Salinas | $72,780 | $34.99 | -12% | 120 |
| 19 | Sacramento | $65,980 | $31.72 | -20% | 1,020 |
| 20 | Fresno | $64,380 | $30.95 | -22% | 520 |
| 21 | Visalia | $61,270 | $29.46 | -26% | 110 |
Every metro area in California with Surgical Tech wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $81,310
Is Carlsbad a good place to work as a Surgical Tech?
Surgical Techs in Carlsbad earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $82,260 a year, 27% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area, about 0.7 are Surgical Tech positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 0.8. Surgical Tech jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Surgical Tech make in Carlsbad, CA?
- A typical Surgical Tech in Carlsbad earns $82,260 a year, or $39.55 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $62,300 and the top 10% earn over $101,430.
- How much does a Surgical Tech make an hour in Carlsbad?
- Typical hourly pay for Surgical Techs in Carlsbad is $39.55. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $29.95, and the top 10% earn over $48.76 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Surgical Tech in Carlsbad?
- Entry-level Surgical Tech positions in Carlsbad typically offer around $29.95 an hour, or $62,300 a year.
- Is Surgical Tech pay in Carlsbad higher than in the rest of California?
- Carlsbad pay is 1% above the California figure of $81,310 a year, ranking 9th of 21 metro areas in the state. San Jose pays the most in California at $106,840.