| Weekly pay | Up to $2,200 on a 5x8 schedule of 40 hours per week |
|---|---|
| Credential | CST certification preferred or required by most facilities. No separate California state license is required. |
| Shifts | Day, Evening, and Night shifts available |
| What sets it apart | The largest surgical market in the country, with a fast-growing outpatient surgery sector |
| Extras | Weekly pay and a dedicated recruiter. Stipend details vary by contract; your recruiter breaks down every package. Call (866) 680-2920. |
| Pay updated | June 2026 |
California runs more operating rooms than any other state, simply because it has more people and more hospitals than anywhere else. For a surgical technologist, that means depth: a constant, year-round flow of cases across every service line, in academic centers, community hospitals, and a rapidly expanding world of outpatient surgery centers. That last piece matters. A growing share of procedures that once required a hospital stay now happen in ambulatory surgery centers, and California is at the front of that shift, which opens a steady stream of outpatient surg tech contracts alongside the traditional hospital ones.
The practical upshot for you is choice. Whether you want the high-acuity intensity of a big hospital OR or the predictable, daytime rhythm of an outpatient center, California has both in volume, and your recruiter can steer you toward the setting that fits your life right now.
California does not license or register surgical technologists at the state level (AST state-law overview), which means there is no state licensing wait between you and a start date. Your CST certification from the NBSTSA is the credential California facilities look for, and most require or strongly prefer it. Some academic programs layer on additional competency checks, so confirm facility-specific requirements with your recruiter, but the absence of a state license keeps California starts comparatively fast for a big, high-demand market.
We Care Staffing's current California surgical tech contracts pay up to $2,200 a week on a 5x8 schedule. For context, the national median for the profession is around $62,830 a year per BLS data, and your package adds tax-free housing and meal stipends following GSA rates for travelers with a qualifying tax home. California's income tax is high but applies only to your taxable base, not your stipends.
Taxable Base Rate
Competitive hourly wage
Housing Stipend
Tax-free, GSA-based rates
Meal Stipend
Tax-free daily allowance
Weekly Pay
Transparent breakdown every week
$2,200
Max Weekly Pay
No License
State Level
5x8
Schedule
As a travel surgical technologist with We Care Staffing, you prepare the sterile field, set up instruments and equipment, anticipate the surgeon's next move, pass instruments, maintain the sterile environment, and help account for every item before closing. California's mix spans high-acuity hospital cases and higher-volume, faster-turnover outpatient surgery, so both deep specialty experience and efficient general-case skills are in demand. Tell your recruiter your service lines and preferred setting.
We Care Staffing places surgical technologists across California's hospital surgical programs and its growing network of outpatient surgery centers. Demand concentrates around Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento, with outpatient opportunities expanding across the suburbs of every major metro.
"I was hesitant to travel, but We Care was incredible. They helped me get my license and paperwork done while also providing excellent support during my assignment."
Samantha Torres
Travel Nurse
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