Surgical Techologist
College and Career Advantage Regional Occupational Program · San Juan Capistrano, CA
- Cost
- $25
- Length
- 42 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- 16%
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 278
- Finished the program
- 80%Based on 244 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- 16%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $10,114A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
The job this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
No regional figures for this program's city
San Juan Capistrano is not one of the metropolitan or rural areas California names when it publishes wages and openings. A neighbouring area's figures would look exactly like a correct answer, so none are shown and the statewide figures stand alone. About half of California's programs are in this position.
Surgical Technologists
Job ads may call this: Surgical Technician · Surgical Scrub Technician · Certified Surgical Technician · Operating Room Technician (OR Tech)
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
- Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
- Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
- Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
Show 2 more things this job involves
- Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
- Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
- Typical pay in California
- $83,586per year
- Projected openings
- 8,420
- Projected change
- +11.6%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Two-year degree — 41% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Postsecondary non-degree award. That is not one of the steps below, so there is no way to count how many people meet it.
- No high school diploma
- 1%
- High school diploma
- 11%
- Started college, no degree
- 34%
- Two-year degree
- 41%
- Four-year degree
- 12%
- Master's degree
- 2%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.5%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job. It is also measured on a different scale from “Usually needs” above, so the two cannot be subtracted from one another.
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
A program that prepares individuals under the supervision of physicians and surgical nurses to maintain monitor and enforce the sterile field and adherence to aseptic technique by preoperative surgical team and postoperative personnel. Includes instruction in instrument and equipment sterilization and handling surgical supplies management wound exposure and closure surgical computer and robot operation and monitoring maintenance of hemostasis and patient and team scrubbing.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
A comprehensive center is where all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. California's Employment Development Department directs people to CareerOneStop's finder to locate one. Contacting a center before traveling is worth it — the state notes that its own staff are not physically present at every location.
The rule: 20 CFR 678.305 — What is a comprehensive one-stop center? · 20 CFR 678.310 — What is an affiliated site? · California EDD — Office Locator
Orange County Workforce Solutions CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 866-500-6587
28202 Cabot RoadSuite 140Laguna Niguel, CA 92677about 4 miles away
Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-1pm
Has a veterans' representative
Orange County Workforce Solutions Center- Mobile Unit -Affiliate site
Phone: 866-500-6587
1300 S. Grand AvenueUse this link to find location-https://www.ocworkforce-solutions.com/mobile-unitSanta Ana, CA 92705about 19.8 miles away
Hours: Varies- Check website to book
Santa Ana WORK CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 714-565-2600
801 West Civic Center Drive,Suite 200Santa Ana, CA 92701about 21.7 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Has a veterans' representative
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →