Requirements

• Florida does not require surgical technologists to be licensed, but most hospitals require professional certification, according to Florida Health Careers. To become a certified surgical technologist, or CST, the individual must complete an accredited surgical technology program and pass an examination administered by the Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist. Numerous training programs are available in Florida at technical schools and community colleges. The programs last six months to two years and lead to a certificate, diploma or associate degree. Surgical technologists must renew their certification every four years.
  
  

Salary Range

• The median salary for a surgical technologist as of January 2011 was $39,770, according to Salary.com. The bottom 10 percent were making less than $33,130 and the top 10 percent had salaries higher than $47,740. In Tampa, surgical technologists had a median salary of $37,460. The bottom 10 percent had salaries below $31,200 and the top 10 percent over $44,970. Narrowing it further, those at the middle 50 percent of the earnings scale were earning annual salaries of $34,180 to $41,390.
  
  

Comparisons

• The average salary for surgical techs in Tampa is similar to that in nearby cities. Surgical techs in Lakeland, for instance, were earning an average annual salary of $36,520 in January 2011, in Sarasota $37,930, in Bradenton $38,040 and in St. Petersburg $38,220.
  
  

Outlook

• A total of 5,439 surgical technologists were employed in Florida in 2006, and the number is likely to increase to over 6,500 by 2014, according to Florida Health Careers. Central Florida Institute, a medical and dental training school, predicts favorable job opportunities in this career because more surgeries will be necessary for an aging population. Central Florida Institute sees a need for surgical technologists in the Tampa Bay region in hospital operating rooms, inpatient and outpatient surgical centers, and practices of private surgeons and dental surgeons.