Surgical Technologists
Surgical Technologists (SOC 29-2055) earn a median $64,650 a year ($31.08 an hour) in the United States, with 117,460 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Hawaii.
What surgical technologists do
Surgical technologists assist in operations under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses or other surgical personnel, and the SOC excludes surgical assistants, who have their own code. Before surgery they help set up the operating room, prepare and position patients on the operating table, cover them with sterile drapes, and adjust lights and equipment. They scrub arms and hands, help the team put on gloves, masks and surgical clothing, and count sponges, needles and instruments before and after the operation. During the operation they maintain a proper sterile field, hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and their assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures and perform other tasks as the surgeon directs. They prepare, care for and dispose of tissue specimens sent for laboratory analysis, and wash and sterilize equipment afterward. They provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses and anesthesiologists. About 41 percent of respondents report an associate degree, 31 percent a postsecondary certificate and 23 percent some college courses. Titles recorded for this work include scrub technician, operating room technician and surgical orderly.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report an associate degree as the typical level of education for this occupation (41 percent).
Also called: Certified Surgical Technician, Certified Surgical Technologist (CST), Operating Room Surgical Technician (OR St), Operating Room Surgical Technologist, Operating Room Technician (OR Tech).
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $22.09 | $26.29 | $31.08 | $38.34 | $46.61 | $33.03 | 117,460 |
| Annual | $45,940 | $54,690 | $64,650 | $79,750 | $96,940 | $68,710 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where surgical technologists earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $18.93 | $28.76 | $39.73 | $42.39 | $45.20 | $35.48 | 290 | 0.46 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $39,370 | $59,810 | $82,640 | $88,160 | $94,010 | $73,790 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $28.81 | $35.19 | $39.13 | $45.50 | $46.80 | $38.94 | 1,090 | 0.56 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $59,930 | $73,190 | $81,390 | $94,640 | $97,330 | $80,990 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $23.63 | $30.95 | $39.09 | $47.72 | $55.64 | $39.81 | 11,920 | 0.66 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $49,140 | $64,380 | $81,310 | $99,260 | $115,740 | $82,810 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $29.01 | $33.09 | $38.88 | $47.26 | $52.67 | $40.30 | 2,220 | 0.61 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $60,350 | $68,830 | $80,870 | $98,300 | $109,550 | $83,820 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $26.37 | $30.52 | $38.65 | $44.94 | $48.59 | $38.30 | 310 | 0.97 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $54,840 | $63,480 | $80,380 | $93,470 | $101,060 | $79,670 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $23.63 | $30.95 | $39.09 | $47.72 | $55.64 | $39.81 | 11,920 | 0.66 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $49,140 | $64,380 | $81,310 | $99,260 | $115,740 | $82,810 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $19.21 | $24.09 | $31.35 | $38.84 | $44.51 | $32.04 | 10,160 | 0.72 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $39,950 | $50,100 | $65,220 | $80,790 | $92,580 | $66,640 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $19.84 | $25.20 | $30.02 | $36.14 | $41.16 | $30.94 | 9,120 | 0.92 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $41,270 | $52,410 | $62,440 | $75,170 | $85,620 | $64,360 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $25.81 | $30.96 | $38.25 | $47.18 | $50.64 | $39.42 | 6,540 | 0.68 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $53,680 | $64,390 | $79,550 | $98,140 | $105,330 | $81,990 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $22.66 | $25.03 | $30.14 | $34.63 | $37.38 | $30.52 | 4,490 | 0.74 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $47,130 | $52,060 | $62,680 | $72,020 | $77,760 | $63,480 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $37.33 | $39.65 | $51.37 | $59.56 | $64.17 | $50.68 | 700 | 0.61 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $77,640 | $82,480 | $106,840 | $123,880 | $133,480 | $105,420 | ||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | $31.05 | $47.80 | $50.61 | $58.75 | $60.68 | $49.58 | 100 | 0.68 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $64,580 | $99,420 | $105,260 | $122,200 | $126,210 | $103,120 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $36.23 | $38.07 | $49.27 | $51.59 | $62.10 | $46.59 | 60 | 0.80 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $75,350 | $79,180 | $102,490 | $107,310 | $129,180 | $96,920 | ||||
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | Hourly | $31.37 | $38.05 | $48.14 | $51.88 | $62.73 | $45.89 | 80 | 0.83 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $65,260 | $79,130 | $100,130 | $107,920 | $130,480 | $95,450 | ||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $29.55 | $38.87 | $48.06 | $51.92 | $58.18 | $45.09 | 120 | 0.61 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $61,470 | $80,840 | $99,960 | $107,990 | $121,010 | $93,780 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $28.28 | $35.00 | $40.44 | $47.98 | $50.38 | $40.67 | 6,320 | 0.67 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $58,810 | $72,800 | $84,120 | $99,790 | $104,780 | $84,590 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $24.16 | $31.78 | $39.22 | $47.01 | $49.04 | $39.24 | 3,440 | 0.55 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $50,250 | $66,100 | $81,580 | $97,790 | $102,010 | $81,620 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $21.30 | $29.88 | $38.46 | $40.54 | $46.35 | $35.51 | 2,790 | 0.69 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $44,300 | $62,140 | $79,990 | $84,310 | $96,410 | $73,860 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $22.57 | $27.52 | $34.16 | $39.77 | $45.52 | $33.46 | 2,660 | 0.81 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $46,950 | $57,250 | $71,050 | $82,720 | $94,670 | $69,590 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $24.32 | $30.16 | $31.91 | $37.97 | $45.21 | $35.14 | 2,530 | 0.56 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $50,590 | $62,730 | $66,360 | $78,980 | $94,030 | $73,090 | ||||
Top industries employing surgical technologists
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals employ 69.7% of surgical technologists nationally (81,900 jobs) at a median $64,950 a year ($31.22 an hour), followed by Offices of Physicians (10.5%) and Outpatient Care Centers (10.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 81,900 | 69.7% | $64,950 | $31.22 |
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | 12,280 | 10.5% | $64,590 | $31.05 |
| Outpatient Care Centers NAICS 621400 | 12,150 | 10.3% | $64,670 | $31.09 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 4,410 | 3.8% | $62,250 | $29.93 |
| Offices of Dentists NAICS 621200 | 2,110 | 1.8% | $48,190 | $23.17 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (117,460). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $48,530 for surgical technologists in May 2021 and $64,650 in May 2025, with employment of 109,060 and 117,460.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $48,530 | $23.33 | 109,060 |
| May 2022 | $55,960 | $26.91 | 107,400 |
| May 2023 | $60,610 | $29.14 | 110,320 |
| May 2024 | $62,830 | $30.21 | 113,890 |
| May 2025 | $64,650 | $31.08 | 117,460 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii profile | $39.73 | $82,640 | $39,370 | $94,010 | 290 | 0.46 | 0.60 |
| 2 | Oregon profile | $39.13 | $81,390 | $59,930 | $97,330 | 1,090 | 0.56 | 0.74 |
| 3 | California profile | $39.09 | $81,310 | $49,140 | $115,740 | 11,920 | 0.66 | 0.87 |
| 4 | Massachusetts profile | $38.88 | $80,870 | $60,350 | $109,550 | 2,220 | 0.61 | 0.81 |
| 5 | Alaska profile | $38.65 | $80,380 | $54,840 | $101,060 | 310 | 0.97 | 1.28 |
| 6 | Minnesota profile | $38.56 | $80,210 | $62,820 | $98,470 | 1,770 | 0.60 | 0.80 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | $38.41 | $79,890 | $45,980 | $104,920 | 1,220 | 0.72 | 0.95 |
| 8 | New York profile | $38.25 | $79,550 | $53,680 | $105,330 | 6,540 | 0.68 | 0.89 |
| 9 | District of Columbia profile | $37.27 | $77,520 | $37,800 | $101,180 | 340 | 0.48 | 0.63 |
| 10 | Washington profile | $37.15 | $77,270 | $55,270 | $103,690 | 2,510 | 0.71 | 0.94 |
| 11 | New Jersey profile | $37.12 | $77,200 | $48,270 | $100,490 | 2,780 | 0.65 | 0.86 |
| 12 | Colorado profile | $36.41 | $75,740 | $51,040 | $92,580 | 2,100 | 0.73 | 0.97 |
| 13 | Nevada profile | $36.29 | $75,480 | $48,330 | $102,430 | 1,110 | 0.71 | 0.94 |
| 14 | New Hampshire profile | $36.08 | $75,040 | $56,760 | $87,560 | 370 | 0.54 | 0.71 |
| 15 | Rhode Island profile | $35.64 | $74,130 | $49,910 | $101,850 | 240 | 0.48 | 0.63 |
| 16 | Wisconsin profile | $35.64 | $74,120 | $59,410 | $86,670 | 2,180 | 0.74 | 0.98 |
| 17 | Idaho profile | $34.88 | $72,550 | $48,430 | $87,210 | 1,100 | 1.28 | 1.70 |
| 18 | Arizona profile | $34.74 | $72,260 | $50,030 | $96,840 | 2,410 | 0.74 | 0.98 |
| 19 | Maryland profile | $33.16 | $68,970 | $45,590 | $85,820 | 1,880 | 0.68 | 0.90 |
| 20 | Virginia profile | $32.49 | $67,580 | $47,980 | $102,020 | 1,910 | 0.47 | 0.62 |
| 21 | Texas profile | $31.35 | $65,220 | $39,950 | $92,580 | 10,160 | 0.72 | 0.96 |
| 22 | Illinois profile | $31.08 | $64,650 | $48,560 | $91,890 | 3,570 | 0.59 | 0.78 |
| 23 | Indiana profile | $30.89 | $64,240 | $51,350 | $80,600 | 2,680 | 0.84 | 1.11 |
| 24 | Georgia profile | $30.77 | $64,010 | $40,390 | $84,040 | 4,380 | 0.90 | 1.19 |
| 25 | Nebraska profile | $30.71 | $63,880 | $49,870 | $79,350 | 770 | 0.75 | 0.99 |
| 26 | Michigan profile | $30.44 | $63,320 | $43,690 | $79,550 | 3,840 | 0.87 | 1.15 |
| 27 | Maine profile | $30.22 | $62,860 | $48,330 | $80,380 | 470 | 0.74 | 0.98 |
| 28 | Utah profile | $30.15 | $62,720 | $45,760 | $87,430 | 1,170 | 0.68 | 0.89 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania profile | $30.14 | $62,680 | $47,130 | $77,760 | 4,490 | 0.74 | 0.98 |
| 30 | Florida profile | $30.02 | $62,440 | $41,270 | $85,620 | 9,120 | 0.92 | 1.22 |
| 31 | Ohio profile | $30.01 | $62,420 | $48,110 | $80,640 | 3,730 | 0.67 | 0.89 |
| 32 | Delaware profile | $29.93 | $62,250 | $48,150 | $79,310 | 340 | 0.70 | 0.93 |
| 33 | South Carolina profile | $29.89 | $62,160 | $38,830 | $75,210 | 2,680 | 1.16 | 1.54 |
| 34 | North Dakota profile | $29.63 | $61,640 | $50,440 | $72,120 | 370 | 0.86 | 1.14 |
| 35 | Oklahoma profile | $29.42 | $61,190 | $49,200 | $77,320 | 1,940 | 1.14 | 1.51 |
| 36 | Missouri profile | $29.39 | $61,120 | $44,930 | $78,410 | 2,100 | 0.72 | 0.95 |
| 37 | Montana profile | $29.31 | $60,970 | $37,690 | $79,330 | 490 | 0.95 | 1.26 |
| 38 | North Carolina profile | $29.29 | $60,920 | $45,990 | $78,650 | 4,400 | 0.89 | 1.18 |
| 39 | Vermont profile | $29.17 | $60,660 | $49,510 | $88,460 | 140 | 0.45 | 0.60 |
| 40 | Kansas profile | $29.13 | $60,600 | $44,720 | $76,880 | 1,200 | 0.83 | 1.10 |
| 41 | Iowa profile | $29.11 | $60,540 | $47,280 | $75,100 | 950 | 0.61 | 0.81 |
| 42 | Tennessee profile | $29.10 | $60,530 | $47,620 | $75,920 | 3,310 | 1.01 | 1.34 |
| 43 | Kentucky profile | $29.08 | $60,490 | $41,440 | $79,980 | 1,440 | 0.72 | 0.96 |
| 44 | South Dakota profile | $28.79 | $59,870 | $38,450 | $75,470 | 600 | 1.31 | 1.73 |
| 45 | Wyoming profile | $28.29 | $58,850 | $45,080 | $79,920 | 210 | 0.75 | 1.00 |
| 46 | Arkansas profile | $27.60 | $57,400 | $38,750 | $75,460 | 1,640 | 1.26 | 1.66 |
| 47 | Louisiana profile | $27.58 | $57,370 | $36,580 | $74,650 | 2,230 | 1.16 | 1.53 |
| 48 | New Mexico profile | $24.90 | $51,780 | $42,430 | $78,650 | 540 | 0.63 | 0.83 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $23.95 | $49,810 | $38,800 | $66,300 | 1,110 | 0.96 | 1.26 |
| 50 | Alabama profile | $23.76 | $49,420 | $36,490 | $64,360 | 2,480 | 1.18 | 1.56 |
| 51 | West Virginia profile | $23.61 | $49,110 | $38,010 | $72,010 | 580 | 0.83 | 1.10 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (29-2050), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 29-2055 Surgical Technologists.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 29-2055, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 29-2055.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.