How Much Money Do Surgical Techs Make in North Carolina?
Surgical technologists, called "scrub techs" for short for both the uniforms they wear and the repeated hand-washing they help physicians complete, are a vital part of any surgical procedure. Surgical technologists know the tools required to perform procedures and study safety measures for the operating room. For these members of the health care team, salaries in North Carolina were lower than the national average in 2009.
Other People Are Reading
-
Scrubbing In
-
North Carolinians prepare for their careers in the operating room with a short period of postsecondary education. The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs accredits hundreds of surgical technology certificates, diplomas and associate's degrees, including 24 in-state institutions such as Durham Technical Community College, Coastal Carolina Community College, Blue Ridge Community College, Wake Technical Community College and Rockingham Community College. Although certification is not required to work as a scrub tech, prospective candidates may want to seek voluntary credentials from the Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist or the National Center for Competency Testing.
Carolina Comparison
-
In 2009, the state of North Carolina was home to approximately 3,030 surgical technologists, earning a statewide average wage of $36,780, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. North Carolina's salary was below the nation's average for the profession, which was $40,710 that year. On the state's range of salaries, North Carolina's highest-paid scrub techs earned $48,750 in the 90th percentile and $28,410 in the bottom 10th percentile.
-
Salary Highs
-
North Carolina may have paid an overall scrub tech salary lower than the country's, but certain areas of the state managed to beat the average (although none of North Carolina's areas beat the national average). The highest average salary in the state went to surgical technologists in Durham, at $40,410, followed by those in Fayetteville at $40,290 and the Raleigh-Cary area, at $40,010. Fayetteville also paid the highest 90th percentile salary in the state, at $55,060, with Durham behind at $53,080.
Salary Lows
-
The state's lowest average salary went to surgical technologists in Wilmington, earning $33,460 at the 50th percentile. Salaries for scrub techs in Greensboro-High Point were also low, at $34,870. Greensboro-High Point had the lowest salaries in the state, with 10th percentile earnings of $26,510. Wilmington's 10th percentile salaries of $26,900 were just slightly higher. The Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord areas also offered low 10th percentile salaries, at $28,330.
-
References
- Photo Credit Scrub Nurse image by Mary Beth Granger from Fotolia.com
