Surgical technologists, also known as scrub techs for short, are vital members of a medical team on surgery day. Surgical techs prepare surgeons for their work, including providing clean equipment, sanitizing their hands and arms and standing by to procure medical supplies. In West Virginia, surgical technologists earned salaries below the national average in 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Prepping for Surgery
While West Virginia's surgical technologists have far fewer educational and training requirements for their jobs than the surgeons they assist, all scrub techs do follow a path of post-secondary education for their profession. Options range from a nine-month certificate to a two-year associate's degree. Although attending an in-state institution is not required, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs accredits six West Virginia surgical technology programs: West Virginia University, Carver Career and Technical Education Center, West Virginia Northern Community College, James Rumsey Technical Institute, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College and Monongalia County Technical Education Center.
West Virginia Statistics
Out of the country's 91,250 surgical technologists in 2009, only 690, or .008 percent, were from West Virginia. Salaries for West Virginia's surgical technologists were considerably lower than the national average, with a statewide $30,600 median wage comparing to the country's $39,400, according to the BLS as of 2009. In fact, West Virginia's highest-paid surgical technologists earned $41,690 in the 90th percentile, which was much closer to the country's 50th percentile wage. West Virginia's lowest-paid surgical techs earned $23,180.
Lowest Pay
Salaries for surgical technologists working in Charleston were the lowest in the state, with median wages of $29,590. Wheeling actually had the lowest 10th percentile salary of $22,560, although Charleston wasn't far behind with 10th percentile salaries of $22,610. Morgantown also had a low median salary of $30,230.
Scrubbing Up
Although West Virginia's statewide salary sank far below the national median, one area of the state did top both figures. Surgical technologists in the Hagerstown-Martinsburg areas earned a median salary of $42,950, higher than both the statewide and national wages. These areas also provided the state's highest 90th percentile salaries, at $56,140. Wheeling was the state's second-highest payer for scrub tech salaries, at $31,210 for the median wage, while Morgantown earned the state's second-highest 90th percentile salaries at $39,930.
Tags: West Virginia, Virginia surgical, West Virginia surgical, 90th percentile, percentile salaries, surgical technologists
