Surgical Technologists Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for surgical technologistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $68,710 ≈ $33/hr
National median salary $64,650
Total employment 117,460 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +4.5%
Faster than average
Annual openings 7,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 115,600 → 120,800 (+5,200)
Typical entry education Postsecondary nondegree award
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Massachusetts$83,820
- California$82,810
- New York$81,990
- Oregon$80,990
- Alaska$79,670
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Alabama$50,680
- West Virginia$52,290
- Mississippi$53,190
- Louisiana$55,870
- Arkansas$57,940
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $83,820 | $80,870 | $40 | +22% | 2,220 |
| 2 | California | $82,810 | $81,310 | $40 | +20.5% | 11,920 |
| 3 | New York | $81,990 | $79,550 | $39 | +19.3% | 6,540 |
| 4 | Oregon | $80,990 | $81,390 | $39 | +17.9% | 1,090 |
| 5 | Alaska | $79,670 | $80,380 | $38 | +16% | 310 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $79,670 | $80,210 | $38 | +16% | 1,770 |
| 7 | Washington | $78,400 | $77,270 | $38 | +14.1% | 2,510 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $76,710 | $79,890 | $37 | +11.6% | 1,220 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $75,640 | $77,200 | $36 | +10.1% | 2,780 |
| 10 | Nevada | $74,880 | $75,480 | $36 | +9% | 1,110 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $73,920 | $74,130 | $36 | +7.6% | 240 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $73,790 | $82,640 | $35 | +7.4% | 290 |
| 13 | Colorado | $72,820 | $75,740 | $35 | +6% | 2,100 |
| 14 | Arizona | $72,640 | $72,260 | $35 | +5.7% | 2,410 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $72,530 | $74,120 | $35 | +5.6% | 2,180 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $72,380 | $75,040 | $35 | +5.3% | 370 |
| 17 | Virginia | $71,790 | $67,580 | $35 | +4.5% | 1,910 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $70,610 | $77,520 | $34 | +2.8% | 340 |
| 19 | Illinois | $70,070 | $64,650 | $34 | +2% | 3,570 |
| 20 | Idaho | $69,990 | $72,550 | $34 | +1.9% | 1,100 |
| 21 | Maryland | $69,740 | $68,970 | $34 | +1.5% | 1,880 |
| 22 | Indiana | $66,930 | $64,240 | $32 | -2.6% | 2,680 |
| 23 | Texas | $66,640 | $65,220 | $32 | -3% | 10,160 |
| 24 | Utah | $65,620 | $62,720 | $32 | -4.5% | 1,170 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $65,290 | $63,880 | $31 | -5% | 770 |
| 26 | Maine | $65,140 | $62,860 | $31 | -5.2% | 470 |
| 27 | Ohio | $64,770 | $62,420 | $31 | -5.7% | 3,730 |
| 28 | Georgia | $64,610 | $64,010 | $31 | -6% | 4,380 |
| 29 | Michigan | $64,590 | $63,320 | $31 | -6% | 3,840 |
| 30 | Vermont | $64,550 | $60,660 | $31 | -6.1% | 140 |
| 31 | Florida | $64,360 | $62,440 | $31 | -6.3% | 9,120 |
| 32 | Delaware | $64,320 | $62,250 | $31 | -6.4% | 340 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $63,480 | $62,680 | $31 | -7.6% | 4,490 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $61,530 | $60,920 | $30 | -10.4% | 4,400 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $61,370 | $60,490 | $30 | -10.7% | 1,440 |
| 36 | Missouri | $60,980 | $61,120 | $29 | -11.3% | 2,100 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $60,860 | $61,640 | $29 | -11.4% | 370 |
| 38 | Iowa | $60,450 | $60,540 | $29 | -12% | 950 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $60,450 | $61,190 | $29 | -12% | 1,940 |
| 40 | Montana | $60,440 | $60,970 | $29 | -12% | 490 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $60,110 | $60,530 | $29 | -12.5% | 3,310 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $60,050 | $62,160 | $29 | -12.6% | 2,680 |
| 43 | Kansas | $59,880 | $60,600 | $29 | -12.9% | 1,200 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $59,730 | $58,850 | $29 | -13.1% | 210 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $58,580 | $51,780 | $28 | -14.7% | 540 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $58,390 | $59,870 | $28 | -15% | 600 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $57,940 | $57,400 | $28 | -15.7% | 1,640 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $55,870 | $57,370 | $27 | -18.7% | 2,230 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $53,190 | $49,810 | $26 | -22.6% | 1,110 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $52,290 | $49,110 | $25 | -23.9% | 580 |
| 51 | Alabama | $50,680 | $49,420 | $24 | -26.2% | 2,480 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 396 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $106,840 | $105,420 | 700 |
| 2 | Vallejo, CA | $105,260 | $103,120 | 100 |
| 3 | Napa, CA | $102,490 | $96,920 | 60 |
| 4 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $100,130 | $95,450 | 80 |
| 5 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $99,960 | $93,780 | 120 |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $99,390 | $96,990 | 1,440 |
| 7 | Redding, CA | $89,940 | $83,890 | 80 |
| 8 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $87,330 | $74,440 | 230 |
| 9 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $86,790 | $83,750 | 250 |
| 10 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $86,410 | $83,920 | 50 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing surgical technologistss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $84,070 | $81,200 | — |
| 2 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, State Government Owned | $82,720 | $76,660 | 170 |
| 3 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $81,270 | $81,600 | 250 |
| 4 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $81,270 | $81,600 | 250 |
| 5 | Educational Services | $80,980 | $77,220 | 720 |
| 6 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $80,980 | $77,270 | 720 |
| 7 | Sector 61 - Educational Services | $80,980 | $77,220 | 720 |
| 8 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $80,720 | $79,750 | 130 |
| 9 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $80,720 | $79,750 | 130 |
| 10 | Office Administrative Services | $78,750 | $79,020 | — |
| 11 | Educational Services, State Government Owned | $73,740 | $74,700 | 450 |
| 12 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, State Government Owned | $73,740 | $74,700 | 450 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do surgical technologists make in the U.S.?
The median surgical technologists salary in the United States is $64,650 per year (mean $68,710), and about 80% earn between $45,940 and $96,940.
How much do surgical technologists make per hour?
Roughly $33 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $68,710 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays surgical technologists the most?
Massachusetts has the highest average pay for surgical technologists at $83,820 per year (median $80,870).
What is the job outlook for surgical technologists?
Employment is projected to change +4.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 7,000 openings per year.