| State | Hourly Median | Annual Median |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $21.99 | $45,730 |
| Alaska | $37.70 | $78,410 |
| Arizona | $31.21 | $64,920 |
| Arkansas | $23.77 | $49,430 |
| California | $37.69 | $78,400 |
| Colorado | $30.50 | $63,430 |
| Connecticut | $38.55 | $80,190 |
| Delaware | $29.37 | $61,090 |
| District of Columbia | $32.94 | $68,520 |
| Florida | $27.25 | $56,670 |
| Georgia | $28.04 | $58,330 |
| Hawaii | $32.63 | $67,880 |
| Idaho | $29.66 | $61,680 |
| Illinois | $28.73 | $59,750 |
| Indiana | $28.12 | $58,480 |
| Iowa | $24.51 | $50,990 |
| Kansas | $24.53 | $51,020 |
| Kentucky | $24.84 | $51,660 |
| Louisiana | $24.31 | $50,560 |
| Maine | $28.27 | $58,800 |
| Maryland | $29.93 | $62,240 |
| Massachusetts | $32.62 | $67,840 |
| Michigan | $28.70 | $59,700 |
| Minnesota | $35.00 | $72,800 |
| Mississippi | $22.03 | $45,830 |
| Missouri | $27.76 | $57,730 |
| Montana | $27.90 | $58,030 |
| Nebraska | $28.67 | $59,630 |
| Nevada | $35.23 | $73,280 |
| New Hampshire | $31.63 | $65,780 |
| New Jersey | $33.45 | $69,580 |
| New Mexico | $23.60 | $49,080 |
| New York | $35.66 | $74,180 |
| North Carolina | $25.40 | $52,830 |
| North Dakota | $28.68 | $59,650 |
| Ohio | $28.33 | $58,930 |
| Oklahoma | $24.71 | $51,400 |
| Oregon | $36.32 | $75,550 |
| Pennsylvania | $27.38 | $56,940 |
| Rhode Island | $30.19 | $62,800 |
| South Carolina | $28.15 | $58,550 |
| South Dakota | $24.99 | $51,980 |
| Tennessee | $27.84 | $57,910 |
| Texas | $28.76 | $59,810 |
| Utah | $26.50 | $55,120 |
| Vermont | $26.35 | $54,820 |
| Virginia | $30.23 | $62,880 |
| Washington | $33.78 | $70,250 |
| West Virginia | $23.36 | $48,590 |
| Wisconsin | $30.84 | $64,150 |
| Wyoming | $25.06 | $51,200 |
Surgical Tech Salary by Metro Areas
| Metro Area | State | Hourly Median | Annual Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $30.10 | $62,610 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | TX | $30.42 | $63,270 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $29.57 | $61,510 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL | AL | $23.69 | $49,270 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | NC | $24.54 | $52,120 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | IL | $28.21 | $59,660 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | OH | $29.21 | $60,750 |
| Cleveland-Elyria, OH | OH | $28.64 | $59,570 |
| Columbus, OH | OH | $28.33 | $58,930 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | TX | $31.24 | $64,980 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | CO | $30.35 | $63,120 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | MI | $29.52 | $61,400 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | MI | $26.21 | $54,510 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | TX | $30.61 | $63,660 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | IN | $29.23 | $60,800 |
| Jacksonville, FL | FL | $25.22 | $52,450 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | MO | $29.68 | $61,730 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | NV | $35.90 | $74,680 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | AR | $24.70 | $51,380 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $32.77 | $68,150 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | KY | $28.77 | $59,840 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | FL | $29.24 | $60,820 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | WI | $31.06 | $64,610 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $37.07 | $77,110 |
| Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | TN | $29.02 | $60,360 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | NY | $37.97 | $78,980 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | OK | $28.81 | $59,930 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | FL | $27.45 | $57,100 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $29.38 | $61,110 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | AZ | $32.14 | $66,850 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | PA | $25.52 | $53,080 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $37.31 | $77,610 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $30.83 | $64,120 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | CA | $39.44 | $82,030 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | MO | $29.86 | $62,110 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | UT | $29.53 | $61,410 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | TX | $23.61 | $49,120 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $39.12 | $81,360 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | CA | $46.84 | $97,430 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $47.49 | $98,780 |
| San Juan-Carolina-Caguas, PR | PR | $11.93 | $24,810 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $36.82 | $76,580 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | FL | $27.84 | $57,920 |
| Tulsa, OK | OK | $23.62 | $49,130 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | VA | $26.26 | $54,620 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $36.53 | $75,970 |
Best Paying Cities for Surgical Techs
| New York City | $ 79,987 |
| San Jose | $ 98,876 |
| Los Angeles | $ 89,878 |
| Boston | $ 79,878 |
| Las Vegas | $ 75,768 |
Surgical Tech Salary as compared to other similar professions
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- Certified nursing assistants – $ 39,989
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- Medical assistants – $ 41,500
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- Pharmacy Technicians – $ 45,878
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- Phlebotomists – $ 43,878
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- Dental assistants – $ 51,000
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- Radiology Technician – $ 88,000
Surgical techs help with surgical operations. According to BLS, Overall employment of surgical assistants and technologists is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations. About 8,700 openings for surgical assistants and technologists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Surgical Tech Career Overview
Surgical techs primary duties and responsibilities are setting up and maintaining a sterile environment in the operating room. However, like most medical jobs, surgical techs specific tasks can vary daily. To become a surgical technologist, you must graduate from an accredited surgical technology training program. Various institutions offer these programs, including community colleges, vocational schools, hospitals, and universities. You’ll need a high school diploma or the equivalent to qualify for these programs. To be successful as a surgical technologist, you’ll need a combination of technical and human skills, such as sterilization techniques and the ability to work in a high-pressure situation. You often work in a fast-paced and high-stress environment but also spend time interacting with team members and patients.
Career Progression for Surgical Techs
You may start your career as a surgical technologist but decide to advance by specializing in a specific type of surgery or pursuing a supervisory position. Not only can you increase your salary by choosing a specialization, but the training you receive also can open additional work opportunities. Typical specialties for surgical technologists include the following:
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- Cardiovascular
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- Obstetrics and Gynecology
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- Orthopedic
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- Neurology
Ways to increase salary as Surgical Tech
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- Get extra certifications
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- Relocate
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- Work for a Bigger Hospital
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- Try to work overtime
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- Travel for work
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- Work in specialize surgery
Sources: BLS, Nursessalary(Aggregate)
