What are the main factors that influence a Surgical Technologist's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Surgical Technologist's salary?

A Surgical Technologist's salary grows with experience: starting around $53,851 for beginners, reaching about $55,817 at mid-level, and approach $56,843 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Surgical Technologist?

Surgical Technologist salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Surgical Technologist roles are District of Columbia $60,256, California $60,028, Massachusetts $59,228. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Surgical Technologist roles make?

Salaries for Surgical Technologist level roles vary by specialization: Obstetrics Surgical Technologist: $297,064; Cardiovascular Surgical Technologist: $131,082; Medical Technologist - Microbiology: $86,246; Certified Surgical Technologist (CST): $56,090; Surgical Technician Certified: $56,083.

How do different companies affect a Surgical Technologist's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Surgical Technologist roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Surgical Technologist Salary in the United States

How much does a Surgical Technologist make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Surgical Technologist in the United States is $54,422 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $26.

However, a Surgical Technologist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $59,961
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $48,548 to $57,322
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $43,200

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Surgical Technologist Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$57,322	$4,777	$1,102	$28
Average	$54,422	$4,535	$1,047	$26
25th Percentile	$48,548	$4,046	$934	$23

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Check out Surgical Technologist Job Openings in the United States

Certified Surgical Technologist

Community Hospital - Fairfax, MO - FAIRFAX, MO

Certified Surgical Technologist First Assistant

Logan Health - KALISPELL, MT

CVOR Certified Surgical Technologist

Ascension - WACO, TX

Surgical Technologist

Ascension - APPLETON, WI

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Key Factors That Influence Surgical Technologist Salaries

A Surgical Technologist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Surgical Technologist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Surgical Technologist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $53,851
Early Career (1-2 years): $54,014
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $55,817
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $56,775
Expert (over 8 years): $56,843

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Surgical Technologist	$53,851
Intermediate Level Surgical Technologist	$54,014
Senior Level Surgical Technologist	$55,817
Specialist Level Surgical Technologist	$56,775
Expert Level Surgical Technologist	$56,843

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Surgical Technologist Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Surgical Technologists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $60,256.
California: $60,028.
Massachusetts: $59,228.

District of Columbia $60,256 California $60,028 Massachusetts $59,228 Washington $59,010 New Jersey $58,988 Alaska $58,912 Connecticut $58,161 New York $57,856

Hawaii $56,882 Rhode Island $56,425 Maryland $56,115 Minnesota $55,690 Colorado $55,527 Illinois $55,473 Oregon $55,266 Delaware $55,114

New Hampshire $55,018 Virginia $54,803 Pennsylvania $54,177 Nevada $53,862 North Dakota $53,758 Michigan $53,595 Wisconsin $53,535 Vermont $53,416

Texas $53,084 Maine $53,062 Arizona $53,029 Ohio $52,991 Georgia $52,490 Indiana $52,240 Wyoming $52,191 Utah $52,115

Iowa $52,082 Kansas $51,821 Louisiana $51,745 North Carolina $51,718 Missouri $51,707 Florida $51,494 Montana $51,380 Nebraska $51,271

Kentucky $51,211 South Carolina $50,994 Tennessee $50,858 Idaho $50,803 New Mexico $50,406 Oklahoma $50,319 Alabama $49,998 South Dakota $49,459

Arkansas $49,165 West Virginia $49,007 Mississippi $48,534

Top Paying Cities for Surgical Technologists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $68,643
San Francisco: $67,968
Oakland: $66,461

San Jose, CA $68,643

San Francisco, CA $67,968

Oakland, CA $66,461

New York, NY $63,070

Queens Village, NY $62,662

Paramus, NJ $62,227

Passaic, NJ $62,172

Bergenfield, NJ $62,118

Stamford, CT $62,036

Huntington, NY $61,982

Newark, NJ $61,628

Bridgeport, CT $61,519

New Brunswick, NJ $61,339

Vallejo, CA $61,225

Middlesex, NJ $61,193

Somerset, NJ $61,144

Petaluma, CA $61,018

Santa Cruz, CA $60,806

Boston, MA $60,697

Monterey, CA $60,425

Fairbanks, AK $60,387

Los Angeles, CA $60,284

Washington, DC $60,256

Seattle, WA $60,159

Santa Rosa, CA $60,148

Juneau, AK $59,990

Orange, CA $59,810

Anchorage, AK $59,712

Anaheim, CA $59,674

Santa Ana, CA $59,593

Nassau, NY $59,560

Long Beach, CA $59,538

Danbury, CT $59,522

Santa Maria, CA $59,337

Everett, WA $59,326

Bremerton, WA $59,059

Trenton, NJ $58,956

Sacramento, CA $58,934

San Diego, CA $58,907

Brockton, MA $58,885

Tacoma, WA $58,863

Santa Barbara, CA $58,787

Lowell, MA $58,569

New Suffolk, NY $58,548

Nashua, NH $58,482

Lompoc, CA $58,395

Ventura, CA $58,341

Stockton, CA $58,324

New Haven, CT $58,216

Atlantic City, NJ $58,074

Hartford, CT $57,954

Modesto, CA $57,927

Poughkeepsie, NY $57,807

New Britain, CT $57,780

Olympia, WA $57,704

Kennewick, WA $57,704

New London, CT $57,693

Norwich, CT $57,677

Lawrence, MA $57,650

Bakersfield, CA $57,497

Riverside, CA $57,421

New Bedford, MA $57,421

Richland, WA $57,367

Portsmouth, NH $57,323

Vineland, NJ $57,312

San Bernardino, CA $57,269

Boulder, CO $57,116

Worcester, MA $57,073

Portland, OR $57,024

Saint Paul, MN $56,958

Minneapolis, MN $56,958

Philadelphia, PA $56,882

Honolulu, HI $56,594

Springfield, MA $56,403

Providence, RI $56,398

Chicago, IL $56,240

Bellingham, WA $56,175

Baltimore, MD $56,115

Chico, CA $55,979

Wilmington, DE $55,886

Pittsfield, MA $55,832

Manchester, NH $55,729

Spokane, WA $55,489

Denver, CO $55,484

Albany, NY $55,228

Troy, NY $55,206

Schenectady, NY $55,092

Burlington, VT $54,972

Portland, ME $54,782

Salem, OR $54,738

Yakima, WA $54,727

Ann Arbor, MI $54,711

Rochester, MN $54,558

Fresno, CA $54,531

Reno, NV $54,531

Milwaukee, WI $54,482

Detroit, MI $54,428

Allentown, PA $54,412

Carson City, NV $54,406

Houston, TX $54,324

Colorado Springs, CO $54,319

Syracuse, NY $54,292

Eugene, OR $54,188

Bismarck, ND $54,123

Gary, IN $54,123

Galveston, TX $54,123

Springfield, OR $54,080

Medford, OR $53,949

Fort Collins, CO $53,927

Austin, TX $53,884

Mesa, AZ $53,769

Phoenix, AZ $53,758

Dallas, TX $53,742

Reading, PA $53,709

Saint Cloud, MN $53,688

Concord, NH $53,639

Madison, WI $53,617

Utica, NY $53,470

Raleigh, NC $53,426

Las Vegas, NV $53,421

Rochester, NY $53,383

Des Moines, IA $53,377

Atlanta, GA $53,290

Battle Creek, MI $53,274

Salt Lake City, UT $53,258

Lancaster, PA $53,176

Champaign, IL $53,165

Harrisburg, PA $53,100

Durham, NC $53,051

Kansas City, MO $53,046

Kansas City, KS $53,035

Fort Worth, TX $53,029

Boca Raton, FL $53,007

Cleveland, OH $53,002

Columbus, OH $52,991

Pittsburgh, PA $52,986

Richmond, VA $52,964

Indianapolis, IN $52,953

Cincinnati, OH $52,882

Petersburg, VA $52,801

Billings, MT $52,681

Lansing, MI $52,681

Huntsville, AL $52,681

Lebanon, PA $52,675

Dayton, OH $52,670

Pueblo, CO $52,670

Appleton, WI $52,654

Buffalo, NY $52,632

Racine, WI $52,605

Charlotte, NC $52,599

Saint Louis, MO $52,583

Springfield, IL $52,561

Elkhart, IN $52,550

York, PA $52,550

Gastonia, NC $52,545

Benton Harbor, MI $52,545

Beaumont, TX $52,512

Lorain, OH $52,501

Toledo, OH $52,480

Binghamton, NY $52,452

Rock Hill, SC $52,447

Rockford, IL $52,420

Fargo, ND $52,392

Elyria, OH $52,392

Flagstaff, AZ $52,354

Fort Lauderdale, FL $52,322

Miami, FL $52,289

Duluth, MN $52,202

Bangor, ME $52,131

Cedar Rapids, IA $52,071

Louisville, KY $52,044

Grand Rapids, MI $52,033

Hialeah, FL $52,028

Casper, WY $51,952

Scranton, PA $51,886

New Orleans, LA $51,870

Virginia Beach, VA $51,865

Akron, OH $51,837

Peoria, IL $51,767

Sarasota, FL $51,756

Green Bay, WI $51,718

Baton Rouge, LA $51,690

Charleston, SC $51,680

Nashville, TN $51,663

Jamestown, NY $51,652

Davenport, IA $51,652

Tucson, AZ $51,625

Cheyenne, WY $51,609

Saint Petersburg, FL $51,592

Tampa, FL $51,582

Omaha, NE $51,571

Port Arthur, TX $51,549

Evansville, IN $51,549

Bradenton, FL $51,527

Santa Fe, NM $51,429

Orlando, FL $51,375

Clearwater, FL $51,315

Canton, OH $51,201

La Crosse, WI $51,201

Grand Forks, ND $51,184

Albuquerque, NM $51,168

Tulsa, OK $51,168

Newport News, VA $51,162

High Point, NC $51,146

Ogden, UT $51,124

Corpus Christi, TX $51,081

Laramie, WY $51,048

Norfolk, VA $51,048

Rock Island, IL $51,016

Saginaw, MI $51,005

Jacksonville, FL $50,999

Salisbury, NC $50,988

Memphis, TN $50,977

Moline, IL $50,950

Fort Myers, FL $50,934

Waterloo, IA $50,863

Spartanburg, SC $50,809

Lincoln, NE $50,782

Fort Wayne, IN $50,771

Birmingham, AL $50,711

Cedar Falls, IA $50,700

Provo, UT $50,694

Springfield, OH $50,689

San Antonio, TX $50,678

Greensboro, NC $50,656

South Bend, IN $50,651

Winston Salem, NC $50,645

Boise, ID $50,629

Savannah, GA $50,591

Muskegon, MI $50,493

Lima, OH $50,428

Lake Charles, LA $50,406

Anderson, IN $50,395

Lexington, KY $50,379

Augusta, GA $50,362

Greenville, SC $50,362

Wichita, KS $50,314

Tuscaloosa, AL $50,314

Columbia, SC $50,265

Bloomington, IN $50,128

Roanoke, VA $50,096

Asheville, NC $50,025

Knoxville, TN $49,933

Shreveport, LA $49,927

Wilmington, NC $49,856

Frankfort, KY $49,753

Oklahoma City, OK $49,715

Chillicothe, OH $49,693

Longview, TX $49,688

Topeka, KS $49,671

Mobile, AL $49,590

Terre Haute, IN $49,568

Erie, PA $49,562

Altoona, PA $49,535

Melbourne, FL $49,519

Amarillo, TX $49,497

Killeen, TX $49,481

Fayetteville, AR $49,437

Sioux Falls, SD $49,399

Chattanooga, TN $49,367

Idaho Falls, ID $49,361

Gainesville, FL $49,247

Portsmouth, OH $49,220

Little Rock, AR $49,209

Lynchburg, VA $49,209

Lafayette, LA $49,187

Youngstown, OH $49,187

Temple, TX $49,165

Daytona Beach, FL $49,154

Clarksville, TN $49,149

Pensacola, FL $49,143

Hopkinsville, KY $48,980

Charleston, WV $48,975

Florence, SC $48,948

Sioux City, IA $48,915

Macon, GA $48,757

Tallahassee, FL $48,752

Fayetteville, NC $48,741

Waco, TX $48,730

Wichita Falls, TX $48,730

Pine Bluff, AR $48,708

Vincennes, IN $48,605

Lubbock, TX $48,583

Great Falls, MT $48,550

Alamogordo, NM $48,545

Abilene, TX $48,501

Rapid City, SD $48,430

Monroe, LA $48,430

Albany, GA $48,398

Huntington, WV $48,392

Jackson, MS $48,387

Greenville, MS $48,382

Parkersburg, WV $48,327

Montgomery, AL $48,316

Johnstown, PA $48,305

Springfield, MO $48,262

Biloxi, MS $48,235

Sumter, SC $48,120

Columbus, GA $48,115

Twin Falls, ID $48,082

Pascagoula, MS $48,011

Kingsport, TN $47,870

Gulfport, MS $47,854

Alexandria, LA $47,674

Fort Smith, AR $47,538

El Paso, TX $47,391

Helena, MT $47,320

Las Cruces, NM $47,146

Harlingen, TX $46,994

Pocatello, ID $46,945

Florence, AL $46,928

Brownsville, TX $46,918

Dothan, AL $46,830

Mcallen, TX $46,803

Columbus, MS $46,401

Altus, OK $46,150

Lawton, OK $46,047

Pierre, SD $45,851

What Skills Can Increase a Surgical Technologist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 3.36% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Basic Life Support (Mentioned in 3.08% Job Postings): BLS is a level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until they can be given full medical care by advanced life support providers. It can be provided by trained medical personnel.
Cardiac (Mentioned in 2.09% Job Postings): Cardiac means relating to the heart. The adjective cardiac is most often used in a medical context: a doctor who operates on people's hearts is a cardiac surgeon and an irregular heart beat is called "cardiac arrhythmia."

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	3.36%
Basic Life Support	3.08%
Cardiac	2.09%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Surgical Technologist's salary.

Team Building: Can increase your salary by up to 36%.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Accountability: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Team Building	$74,014	36%
Innovation	$57,688	6%
Accountability	$57,144	5%
Communication Skills	$56,599	4%
Diversity and Inclusion	$56,599	4%
Anesthesia	$56,055	3%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Surgical Technologist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Surgical Technologists enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Surgical Technologist with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $55,038 and $58,332).

Surgical Technologist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Surgical Technologist

No Diploma 0.7%

High School 58.7%

Associates 30.1%

Bachelors 8.4%

Masters 2.1%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.7%
High School	58.7%
Associates	30.1%
Bachelors	8.4%
Masters	2.1%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Surgical Technologist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Surgical Technologist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$48,548

Average $54,422/year

$57,322

$4,046

Average $4,535/month

$4,777

$934

Average $1,047/week

$1,102

$23

Average $26/hour

$28

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$57,322	$4,777	$1,102	$28
Average	$54,422	$4,535	$1,047	$26
25th Percentile	$48,548	$4,046	$934	$23

Salaries of jobs related to Surgical Technologist

Salary Trends for Surgical Technologist

Salaries for a Surgical Technologist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $63,001 in 2023 to around $56,729 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Surgical Technologist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Surgical Technologist Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$63,001

2024

$59,395

2025

$56,729

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$63,001
2024	$59,395
2025	$56,729
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Surgical Technologist

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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