How much do surgical technicians make?

Surgical Technician salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Surgical Technologists (SOC 29-2055) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Surgical technicians in the US earned a median of $64,650 a year ($31.08 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $54,690 to $79,750.

Median annual pay: $64,650; Mean $68,710
Median hourly pay: $31.08; Mean $33.03
Typical range (10th–90th): $45.9K–$96.9K; $45,940 to $96,940
US jobs: 117,460; +5.0% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a surgical technician: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Minnesota

Surgical Technician pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$45,940
25th percentile$54,690
Median$64,650
75th percentile$79,750
90th percentile$96,940

Half of all surgical technicians earned more than $64,650 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $45,940; the top 10% made over $96,940. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $54,690 to $79,750.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$45,940	$22.09	$3,828
25th	$54,690	$26.29	$4,558
Median (50th)	$64,650	$31.08	$5,388
75th	$79,750	$38.34	$6,646
90th	$96,940	$46.61	$8,078
Mean (average)	$68,710	$33.03	$5,726

Surgical Technician salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for surgical technicians by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. Hawaii $82,640
2. Oregon $81,390
3. California $81,310
4. Massachusetts $80,870
5. Alaska $80,380

Lowest-paying states

51. West Virginia $49,110
50. Alabama $49,420
49. Mississippi $49,810
48. New Mexico $51,780
47. Louisiana $57,370

Best after cost of living: Minnesota. Its median of $80,210 is worth about $81,332 at national-average prices, more than in Hawaii once prices are counted.


Alabama	$49,420	50	$55,639	50	$23.76	2,480	1.18
Alaska	$80,380	5	$78,528	4	$38.65	310	0.97
Arizona	$72,260	18	$71,774	16	$34.74	2,410	0.74
Arkansas	$57,400	46	$66,025	33	$27.60	1,640	1.26
California	$81,310	3	$73,438	12	$39.09	11,920	0.66
Colorado	$75,740	12	$73,497	11	$36.41	2,100	0.73
Connecticut	$79,890	7	$77,106	5	$38.41	1,220	0.72
Delaware	$62,250	32	$62,370	45	$29.93	340	0.70
District of Columbia	$77,520	9	$70,536	19	$37.27	340	0.48
Florida	$62,440	30	$60,379	47	$30.02	9,120	0.92
Georgia	$64,010	24	$66,474	31	$30.77	4,380	0.90
Hawaii	$82,640	1	$75,161	9	$39.73	290	0.46
Idaho	$72,550	17	$75,973	7	$34.88	1,100	1.28
Illinois	$64,650	22	$64,677	39	$31.08	3,570	0.59
Indiana	$64,240	23	$68,832	23	$30.89	2,680	0.84
Iowa	$60,540	41	$68,982	22	$29.11	950	0.61
Kansas	$60,600	40	$67,282	26	$29.13	1,200	0.83
Kentucky	$60,490	43	$67,093	29	$29.08	1,440	0.72
Louisiana	$57,370	47	$65,040	37	$27.58	2,230	1.16
Maine	$62,860	27	$64,771	38	$30.22	470	0.74
Maryland	$68,970	19	$65,711	36	$33.16	1,880	0.68
Massachusetts	$80,870	4	$76,468	6	$38.88	2,220	0.61
Michigan	$63,320	26	$65,810	35	$30.44	3,840	0.87
Minnesota	$80,210	6	$81,332	1	$38.56	1,770	0.60
Mississippi	$49,810	49	$57,284	48	$23.95	1,110	0.96
Missouri	$61,120	36	$67,300	25	$29.39	2,100	0.71
Montana	$60,970	37	$64,420	41	$29.31	490	0.95
Nebraska	$63,880	25	$70,897	18	$30.71	770	0.75
Nevada	$75,480	13	$75,496	8	$36.29	1,110	0.71
New Hampshire	$75,040	14	$72,040	15	$36.08	370	0.54
New Jersey	$77,200	11	$70,953	17	$37.12	2,780	0.65
New Mexico	$51,780	48	$56,153	49	$24.90	540	0.63
New York	$79,550	8	$73,711	10	$38.25	6,540	0.68
North Carolina	$60,920	38	$64,585	40	$29.29	4,400	0.89
North Dakota	$61,640	34	$69,290	21	$29.63	370	0.86
Ohio	$62,420	31	$67,282	27	$30.01	3,730	0.67
Oklahoma	$61,190	35	$69,658	20	$29.42	1,940	1.14
Oregon	$81,390	2	$78,743	3	$39.13	1,090	0.56
Pennsylvania	$62,680	29	$64,240	42	$30.14	4,490	0.74
Rhode Island	$74,130	15	$72,478	13	$35.64	240	0.48
South Carolina	$62,160	33	$66,305	32	$29.89	2,680	1.16
South Dakota	$59,870	44	$67,584	24	$28.79	600	1.30
Tennessee	$60,530	42	$65,887	34	$29.10	3,310	1.01
Texas	$65,220	21	$67,198	28	$31.35	10,160	0.72
Utah	$62,720	28	$63,441	44	$30.15	1,170	0.68
Vermont	$60,660	39	$61,924	46	$29.17	140	0.45
Virginia	$67,580	20	$66,842	30	$32.49	1,910	0.47
Washington	$77,270	10	$72,206	14	$37.15	2,510	0.71
West Virginia	$49,110	51	$54,873	51	$23.61	580	0.83
Wisconsin	$74,120	16	$78,771	2	$35.64	2,180	0.74
Wyoming	$58,850	45	$63,491	43	$28.29	210	0.75

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for surgical technicians

278 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$106,840	$96,755	700
Vallejo, CA	$105,260	$97,033	100
Napa, CA	$102,490	$91,059	60
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$100,130	$91,113	80
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$99,960	$92,741	120
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$99,390	$85,968	1,440
Redding, CA	$89,940	$89,329	80
Urban Honolulu, HI	$87,330	$78,703	230
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$86,790	$81,215	250
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$84,120	$74,731	6,320

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	6,320	$84,120	$74,731
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	3,440	$81,580	$71,835
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	2,790	$79,990	$77,592
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	2,660	$71,050	$72,038
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	2,530	$66,360	$64,057
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	2,400	$67,570	$67,531
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	2,200	$65,520	$57,396
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	2,020	$69,650	$67,915
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	1,790	$78,050	$75,545
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	1,670	$65,810	$65,614

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves surgical technician pay: employers and settings

Location moves surgical tech pay the most. The five best-paying states are clustered in the West and Northeast: Hawaii at $82,640, Oregon at $81,390, California at $81,310, Massachusetts at $80,870, and Alaska at $80,380. The lowest are Mississippi at $49,810, Alabama at $49,420, and West Virginia at $49,110. Minnesota comes out best once living costs are counted, at $81,332 adjusted.

Workplace matters less than you might expect. General hospitals ($64,950), physicians' offices ($64,590) and outpatient care centers ($64,670) pay almost the same median. Specialty hospitals pay more, with a median of $71,390. Dental offices pay less, at $48,190. Staffing agencies show $62,250 in our data.

Within a hospital, on-call, night and weekend shifts and the CST credential, which many employers require or prefer, can make a difference. Across all surgical techs, pay runs from a 10th percentile of $45,940, to a 90th percentile of $96,940, a spread that reflects state, employer and shifts as well as experience.

Where surgical technicians work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	69.7%	$64,950
Offices of Physicians	10.5%	$64,590
Outpatient Care Centers	10.3%	$64,670
Employment Services	3.8%	$62,250
Offices of Dentists	1.8%	$48,190
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	1.4%	$71,390

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	105,710	$64,800
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	3,550	$66,500
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	8,200	$61,930

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Surgical Technician pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$64.7K $44.3K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $44,330 in 2015 to $64,650 in 2025, up 46% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $59,925 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 8% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What surgical technicians do

A surgical technician, also called a surgical technologist, scrub tech or surg tech, keeps the operating room sterile and hands the surgeon the right instrument at the right moment. Before a case, the scrub tech opens sterile packs, lays out instruments on the back table and Mayo stand following the surgeon's preference card, checks that suction, lights and power tools work, and helps the team gown and glove. During surgery they pass instruments, load sutures, hold retractors, manage specimens and keep track of every sponge, needle and blade so nothing is left inside the patient.

About 70% of surgical techs work in general hospitals, where they cover everything from cesarean sections to trauma cases. The rest work mainly in outpatient surgery centers and physicians' offices, with smaller numbers in dental and oral surgery offices. They work closely with surgeons, circulating nurses and anesthesia staff, spend most of the day standing in gowns and masks, and in hospitals often take call for nights, weekends and holidays.

A typical day

Read the surgeon's preference card and pull the instrument trays and supplies for each case
Open sterile packs, set up the back table and check that equipment works
Help position and drape the patient, then gown and glove the surgical team
Pass instruments and sutures, hold retractors and run suction during the operation
Count sponges, sharps and instruments with the circulating nurse before and after closing
Label and hand off tissue specimens for the lab
Break down the room, send instruments to sterile processing and restock for the next case

Also called: surgical tech, surgical technologist, scrub tech, surg tech, central supply technician (central supply tech), certified scrub technician (certified scrub tech), cst (certified surgical technologist), or surgical tech (operating room surgical technician).

How to become a surgical technician

Full guide

To become a surgical technician, complete an accredited surgical technology program, which is usually an associate degree of about 2 years, and pass a certification exam, most often the CST from NBSTSA. Shorter certificate programs exist, but the CST requires a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited program.

Typical time: About 2 years; Fastest: About 1 year
Minimum education: Certificate or associate degree in surgical technology; an accredited program is needed for the CST
License: Not licensed in most states; a minority of states set certification or registration rules
Typical training cost: $4.9K–$9.6K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a surgical technician: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: About 2 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $4.9K–$9.6K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $64,650; $13,670 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 8–15%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($13,670 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (about 2 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for surgical technicians

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +5.0%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 118,400; 124,300 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 7,100; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: —; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects surgical technologist jobs to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, from 118,400 to 124,300, faster than the 3.5% projected for all occupations. About 7,100 openings a year are expected, most of them to replace techs who retire or change fields.

Two trends drive demand: an older population that needs more operations, and a rising number of surgeries overall. BLS expects growth to be strongest in outpatient settings such as ambulatory surgery centers, as new technology and insurer policies shift more procedures out of hospitals.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Surgical Technician salary FAQ

How much do surgical technicians make an hour?

The median hourly wage for surgical technicians was $31.08 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $22.09 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $46.61. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays surgical technicians the most?

Hawaii has the highest median pay for surgical technicians, $82,640 a year, followed by Oregon ($81,390) and California ($81,310). After adjusting for each state's price level, Minnesota comes out ahead at about $81,332 in national-average dollars.

Do surgical technicians make six figures?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of surgical technicians earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $64,650, and the top 10% earn more than $96,940. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Do surgical techs earn more in hospitals or surgery centers?

The difference is small. In our data, general hospitals pay surgical techs a median of $64,950 and outpatient care centers, which include ambulatory surgery centers, pay $64,670. The bigger differences are elsewhere: specialty hospitals pay $71,390. Dental offices pay $48,190. Hospital techs are more likely to work or take call on nights, weekends and holidays, which affects both schedule and take-home pay.

Which states have the most surgical tech jobs?

California has the most, with 11,920 surgical technologists, followed by Texas with 10,160, Florida with 9,120, New York with 6,540 and Pennsylvania with 4,490. These are large states with many hospitals. Pay in the top job states varies widely, and state laws on certification differ too, so check both before you move for a job.

Has surgical tech pay kept up with inflation?

Yes. The median rose from $44,330 in 2015 to $64,650 in 2025. In 2025 dollars, the 2015 median was worth $59,925. That means surgical techs earn noticeably more in real terms than ten years earlier, even after a decade of price increases.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-2055
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (29-2055.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Surgical Assistants and Technologists: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
CST Eligibility, National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) · checked October 28, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions, National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) · checked October 28, 2026
Surgical Technologist Job Description, Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) · checked October 28, 2026
Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Surgical Technology (2023), CAAHEP / ARC/STSA · checked October 28, 2026
Tech in Surgery - Certified (NCCT), TS-C, National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) · checked October 28, 2026
AST CE Policies for the CST and CSFA, 2-year certification cycle, Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) · checked October 28, 2026
CST Certification, National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) · checked October 28, 2026

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