Surgical Assistants Salary
The median pay for a surgical assistants in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is $62,990/year ($30.28/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $54K at the entry level to $125K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 112.56), so that salary is closer to $55,961 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,910/month, about 70.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $63K get you in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New York-Newark-Jersey City’s Regional Price Parity (112.56). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in New York-Newark-Jersey City
Surgical assistants pay in New York-Newark-Jersey City tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $67K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,910/month, which is 70.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 13% above the national average (BEA RPP 112.56), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for surgical assistants in metros near New York-Newark-Jersey City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $67K | $65K |
| Pittsburgh | $50K | $53K |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $58K | $54K |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | $49K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Entry-level surgical assistants (10th percentile) start around $54K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $125K or more, a $70K 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a surgical assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 70.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,910/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for surgical assistants in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surgical assistants typically earn — is $54K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,266/month. At HUD’s $2,910/month FMR, rent would take 89% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $67K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does New York-Newark-Jersey City compare to the national average for surgical assistants?
New York-Newark-Jersey City pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $67K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.56), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do surgical assistants make in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
The median is $62,990 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $54,440, and experienced surgical assistants can clear $124,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,149/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,910/month, which eats 70.1% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has a Regional Price Parity of 112.56 (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 $55,961 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.