National Wages

• The median annual income for surgical assistants at all levels of education, training and credentials from across the United States was $86,544 as of April 2011, according to Salary.com. The top 10 percent of surgical assistants earned annual wages in excess of $103,058 while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $66,213 per year. The middle 50 percent of surgical assistants earned annual incomes of between $75,902 and $95,188 per year.
  
  

Regional Wages

• A surgical assistant's income may be significantly affected by the region of the country where she practices. Those who practiced in major metropolitan areas tend to earn higher wages than those who work in small towns. The median annual income for a surgical assistant in Mobile, Alabama, was $77,890 while her counterpart in Los Angeles earned a median annual income of $95,026 as of April 2011, according to Salary.com.
  
  

Certification

• Surgical assistants require education and training beyond that required for a degree in physician assisting, nursing and most other health professions, according to the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. A surgical assistant's income may be affected by her education and credentials. Surgical assistants who held the certified operating room nurse credential earned an average of $860 more than those who held a different certification, according to the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses.
  
  

Considerations

• First surgical assistants should be qualified surgeons or medical doctors who are participating in a surgical residency program, according to the American College of Surgeons. Non-physician surgical assistants, such as operating room registered nurses, may serve as first surgical assistants if no qualified surgeon is available. The demand for new surgeons who can act as surgical assistants should increase by 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. bureau of Labor Statistics. Surgical assistants should not be confused with surgical or operating room technicians, who are qualified to prepare operating rooms for surgery, but are not permitted to perform any surgical procedures.