| Weekly pay | Up to $2,400 on a 12x3 schedule of 36 hours per week |
|---|---|
| Credential | CST certification preferred or required by most facilities, plus Colorado state registration (see below) |
| Shifts | Varied shifts available |
| What sets it apart | One of the country's busiest orthopedic surgery markets, driven by a year-round active and outdoor population |
| 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 |
Colorado punches above its size in the operating room, and the reason is the state itself. An active, outdoor population produces a steady, year-round stream of orthopedic cases: ski and snowboard injuries through the winter, climbing, cycling, and trail injuries through the summer, and a growing older population needing joint replacements on top of it all. Orthopedics is one of the most surg-tech-intensive service lines there is, so that case volume translates directly into demand for techs who can scrub ortho confidently.
Layer on a dense Front Range hospital corridor and a fast-expanding network of outpatient surgery centers across the Denver suburbs, and Colorado becomes a market where a strong surgical technologist rarely sits idle. If your service-line experience includes ortho, sports medicine, or general surgery, you will find Colorado contracts steady and varied.
Colorado is one of only a few states that require surgical technologists to register with the state, through the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), in addition to the CST certification from the NBSTSA that most facilities expect (AST state-law overview). The registration is a far lighter lift than a full professional license, so it should not slow you down if you handle it early, but it is a real requirement, so plan for it rather than discovering it at offer. Confirm the current registration steps and any facility-specific requirements with your recruiter, since the details are updated periodically.
We Care Staffing's current Colorado surgical tech contracts pay up to $2,400 a week on a 12x3 schedule, comfortably above the typical national travel range for the role. For context, surgical technologists earn a national median around $62,830 a year per BLS data, and certified techs generally earn more, so a travel contract here plus tax-free stipends is a meaningful step up.
Your package pairs a taxable hourly wage with tax-free housing and meal stipends following GSA rates for travelers who keep a qualifying tax home. Colorado's flat income tax of about 4.4% 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
$2,400
Max Weekly Pay
4.4%
Flat State Tax
12x3
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. Colorado contracts lean heavily on orthopedics, with general surgery, OB, and outpatient cases rounding out the mix. Tell your recruiter which service lines you have scrubbed and you will be matched to cases that fit.
We Care Staffing places surgical technologists across Colorado's Front Range hospital systems, its outpatient surgery centers, and its mountain and regional facilities. Demand concentrates around Denver, Colorado Springs, and Aurora, with seasonal surges in mountain-area surgical programs through ski season.
"We-Care found me the perfect ER nurse assignment quickly. Their communication was fantastic throughout the entire process. I couldn't be happier!"
Jessica Miller
Travel Nurse
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