Surgical Assistants Salary
The median pay for a surgical assistants in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL is $78,240/year ($37.61/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $141K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 114.16), so that salary is closer to $68,535 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,436/month, about 44.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $78K get you in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach’s Regional Price Parity (114.16). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About surgical assistants
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What this looks like in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach sits well above the national pay line for surgical assistants, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $67K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,436/month, which is 46.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 114.16), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for surgical assistants in metros near Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $51K | $51K |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $60K | $59K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $79K | $78K |
| Jacksonville | $78K | $78K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Entry-level surgical assistants (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $141K or more, a $107K spread from bottom to top.
Surgical Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Surgical Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $123K | +85% | 90 |
| Arizona | $111K | +66% | N/A |
| Colorado | $107K | +61% | N/A |
| Nevada | $101K | +51% | 230 |
| New Jersey | $91K | +36% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $86K | +28% | 480 |
| Kentucky | $85K | +27% | 480 |
| Tennessee | $82K | +22% | 750 |
| Oregon | $80K | +20% | 220 |
| Illinois | $80K | +20% | 2,300 |
| Virginia | $79K | +18% | 1,000 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | +17% | 810 |
| New Hampshire | $78K | +16% | 130 |
| Ohio | $77K | +16% | 970 |
| Minnesota | $76K | +14% | 360 |
| Connecticut | $68K | +1% | 320 |
| Montana | $67K | +1% | 100 |
| Iowa | $66K | -1% | 30 |
| Washington | $65K | -2% | 100 |
| Texas | $65K | -3% | 2,840 |
| Florida | $63K | -6% | 1,260 |
| California | $63K | -6% | 1,210 |
| New Mexico | $62K | -7% | 130 |
| Rhode Island | $62K | -7% | N/A |
| Alaska | $61K | -8% | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | -9% | 240 |
| New York | $60K | -10% | 470 |
| North Carolina | $60K | -10% | 670 |
| Maryland | $58K | -13% | 670 |
| Kansas | $58K | -13% | 180 |
| Indiana | $57K | -15% | 690 |
| Idaho | $56K | -15% | N/A |
| Michigan | $56K | -16% | 560 |
| Massachusetts | $56K | -16% | N/A |
| Hawaii | $54K | -19% | 70 |
| Nebraska | $53K | -20% | 80 |
| West Virginia | $51K | -24% | 280 |
| Mississippi | $51K | -24% | 120 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -26% | 80 |
| Georgia | $50K | -26% | 840 |
| Missouri | $49K | -26% | 510 |
| Utah | $45K | -33% | 290 |
| Alabama | $42K | -38% | 470 |
| Oklahoma | $40K | -40% | 220 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track surgical assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a surgical assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 46.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,436/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for surgical assistants in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surgical assistants typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,044/month. At HUD’s $2,436/month FMR, rent would take 119% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is surgical assistant a high-paying job in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $78K here vs. $67K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 14% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach compare to the national average for surgical assistants?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $67K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 114.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do surgical assistants make in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
The median is $78,240 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,070, and experienced surgical assistants can clear $141,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,286/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,436/month, which eats 46.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a surgical assistants salary go in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 114.16 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median surgical assistants salary is worth about $68,535 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do surgical assistants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.