Career Outlook

With the Rio Grande Valley’s rapidly growing population, quality healthcare has become vital to the area’s existence. Employment of surgical technologists is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2010 as the volume of surgery increases. The number of surgical procedures is expected to rise as the population grows and ages. 

Technological advances, such as fiber optics and laser technology, will also permit new surgical procedures to be performed.

Hospitals will continue to be the primary employer of surgical technologists, although much faster employment growth is expected in offices of physicians and in outpatient care centers, including ambulatory surgical centers.

Starting salary ranges for surgical technologists range from $27,000-$28,200 in the Valley and from $$28,000-$32,000 out of the Valley.