SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeons’ assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments. Excludes “Surgical Assistants” (29-9093).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 29-2055.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $45,940 | $3,828 | $883 | $22.09 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $54,690 | $4,558 | $1,052 | $26.29 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $64,650 | $5,388 | $1,243 | $31.08 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $79,750 | $6,646 | $1,534 | $38.34 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $96,940 | $8,078 | $1,864 | $46.61 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Surgical Technologists is $64,650, which is 27% higher. Among the 71 occupations of the field Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks number 56 by median pay. With 117,460 jobs, it makes up about 7.6 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Surgical Technologists pay by state
The highest median pay was in Hawaii ($82,640), Oregon ($81,390) and California ($81,310). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($30,600), West Virginia ($49,110) and Alabama ($49,420). The most jobs were in California (11,920), Texas (10,160) and Florida (9,120). The occupation is most concentrated in South Dakota, where its share of all jobs is 1.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 290 | $82,640 | $73,790 | $39.73 |
| Oregon | 1,090 | $81,390 | $80,990 | $39.13 |
| California | 11,920 | $81,310 | $82,810 | $39.09 |
| Massachusetts | 2,220 | $80,870 | $83,820 | $38.88 |
| Alaska | 310 | $80,380 | $79,670 | $38.65 |
| Minnesota | 1,770 | $80,210 | $79,670 | $38.56 |
| Connecticut | 1,220 | $79,890 | $76,710 | $38.41 |
| New York | 6,540 | $79,550 | $81,990 | $38.25 |
| District of Columbia | 340 | $77,520 | $70,610 | $37.27 |
| Washington | 2,510 | $77,270 | $78,400 | $37.15 |
| New Jersey | 2,780 | $77,200 | $75,640 | $37.12 |
| Colorado | 2,100 | $75,740 | $72,820 | $36.41 |
| Nevada | 1,110 | $75,480 | $74,880 | $36.29 |
| New Hampshire | 370 | $75,040 | $72,380 | $36.08 |
| Rhode Island | 240 | $74,130 | $73,920 | $35.64 |
| Wisconsin | 2,180 | $74,120 | $72,530 | $35.64 |
| Idaho | 1,100 | $72,550 | $69,990 | $34.88 |
| Arizona | 2,410 | $72,260 | $72,640 | $34.74 |
| Maryland | 1,880 | $68,970 | $69,740 | $33.16 |
| Virginia | 1,910 | $67,580 | $71,790 | $32.49 |
| Texas | 10,160 | $65,220 | $66,640 | $31.35 |
| Illinois | 3,570 | $64,650 | $70,070 | $31.08 |
| Indiana | 2,680 | $64,240 | $66,930 | $30.89 |
| Georgia | 4,380 | $64,010 | $64,610 | $30.77 |
| Nebraska | 770 | $63,880 | $65,290 | $30.71 |
| Michigan | 3,840 | $63,320 | $64,590 | $30.44 |
| Maine | 470 | $62,860 | $65,140 | $30.22 |
| Utah | 1,170 | $62,720 | $65,620 | $30.15 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,490 | $62,680 | $63,480 | $30.14 |
| Florida | 9,120 | $62,440 | $64,360 | $30.02 |
| Ohio | 3,730 | $62,420 | $64,770 | $30.01 |
| Delaware | 340 | $62,250 | $64,320 | $29.93 |
| South Carolina | 2,680 | $62,160 | $60,050 | $29.89 |
| North Dakota | 370 | $61,640 | $60,860 | $29.63 |
| Oklahoma | 1,940 | $61,190 | $60,450 | $29.42 |
| Missouri | 2,100 | $61,120 | $60,980 | $29.39 |
| Montana | 490 | $60,970 | $60,440 | $29.31 |
| North Carolina | 4,400 | $60,920 | $61,530 | $29.29 |
| Vermont | 140 | $60,660 | $64,550 | $29.17 |
| Kansas | 1,200 | $60,600 | $59,880 | $29.13 |
| Iowa | 950 | $60,540 | $60,450 | $29.11 |
| Tennessee | 3,310 | $60,530 | $60,110 | $29.10 |
| Kentucky | 1,440 | $60,490 | $61,370 | $29.08 |
| South Dakota | 600 | $59,870 | $58,390 | $28.79 |
| Wyoming | 210 | $58,850 | $59,730 | $28.29 |
| Arkansas | 1,640 | $57,400 | $57,940 | $27.60 |
| Louisiana | 2,230 | $57,370 | $55,870 | $27.58 |
| New Mexico | 540 | $51,780 | $58,580 | $24.90 |
| Mississippi | 1,110 | $49,810 | $53,190 | $23.95 |
| Alabama | 2,480 | $49,420 | $50,680 | $23.76 |
| West Virginia | 580 | $49,110 | $52,290 | $23.61 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,080 | $30,600 | $32,600 | $14.71 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Surgical Assistants$66,800 a year
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other$65,790 a year
- Hearing Aid Specialists$65,160 a year
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$64,400 a year
- Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$62,930 a year
- Athletic Trainers$62,520 a year
Common questions
How much do Surgical Technologists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $64,650 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $45,940 and the highest-paid 10% more than $96,940.
How many people work as Surgical Technologists?
About 117,460 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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