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How Much Does a Surgical Technologist Make?

A surgical technologist in the US earns a median salary of $64,650 a year, or $31.08 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $68,710, and the middle half earn between $54,690 and $79,750.

Median a year $64,650
Median an hour $31.08
Median a month $5,388
Average a year $68,710

Surgical technologist pay range

What surgical technologists earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $45,940 $22.09
25th $54,690 $26.29
Median (50th) $64,650 $31.08
75th $79,750 $38.34
90th (top 10%) $96,940 $46.61

The median is 27% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 117,460 people work as surgical technologists in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,243
Every two weeks
$2,487
Twice a month
$2,694
A month
$5,388

At the median salary, before tax.

Surgical technologist salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Massachusetts pays surgical technologists the most, at $83,820 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Massachusetts $83,820 $80,870 2,220 After tax
California $82,810 $81,310 11,920 After tax
New York $81,990 $79,550 6,540 After tax
Oregon $80,990 $81,390 1,090 After tax
Alaska $79,670 $80,380 310 After tax
Minnesota $79,670 $80,210 1,770 After tax
Washington $78,400 $77,270 2,510 After tax
Connecticut $76,710 $79,890 1,220 After tax
New Jersey $75,640 $77,200 2,780 After tax
Nevada $74,880 $75,480 1,110 After tax
Rhode Island $73,920 $74,130 240 After tax
Hawaii $73,790 $82,640 290 After tax
Colorado $72,820 $75,740 2,100 After tax
Arizona $72,640 $72,260 2,410 After tax
Wisconsin $72,530 $74,120 2,180 After tax
New Hampshire $72,380 $75,040 370 After tax
Virginia $71,790 $67,580 1,910 After tax
District of Columbia $70,610 $77,520 340 After tax
Illinois $70,070 $64,650 3,570 After tax
Idaho $69,990 $72,550 1,100 After tax
Maryland $69,740 $68,970 1,880 After tax
Indiana $66,930 $64,240 2,680 After tax
Texas $66,640 $65,220 10,160 After tax
Utah $65,620 $62,720 1,170 After tax
Nebraska $65,290 $63,880 770 After tax
Maine $65,140 $62,860 470 After tax
Ohio $64,770 $62,420 3,730 After tax
Georgia $64,610 $64,010 4,380 After tax
Michigan $64,590 $63,320 3,840 After tax
Vermont $64,550 $60,660 140 After tax
Florida $64,360 $62,440 9,120 After tax
Delaware $64,320 $62,250 340 After tax
Pennsylvania $63,480 $62,680 4,490 After tax
North Carolina $61,530 $60,920 4,400 After tax
Kentucky $61,370 $60,490 1,440 After tax
Missouri $60,980 $61,120 2,100 After tax
North Dakota $60,860 $61,640 370 After tax
Iowa $60,450 $60,540 950 After tax
Oklahoma $60,450 $61,190 1,940 After tax
Montana $60,440 $60,970 490 After tax
Tennessee $60,110 $60,530 3,310 After tax
South Carolina $60,050 $62,160 2,680 After tax
Kansas $59,880 $60,600 1,200 After tax
Wyoming $59,730 $58,850 210 After tax
New Mexico $58,580 $51,780 540 After tax
South Dakota $58,390 $59,870 600 After tax
Arkansas $57,940 $57,400 1,640 After tax
Louisiana $55,870 $57,370 2,230 After tax
Mississippi $53,190 $49,810 1,110 After tax
West Virginia $52,290 $49,110 580 After tax
Alabama $50,680 $49,420 2,480 After tax
Puerto Rico $32,600 $30,600 1,080

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other healthcare practitioners jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Surgical Technologists” (SOC 29-2055). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a surgical technologist make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a surgical technologist is $31.08, and the average is $33.03. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $22.09 an hour and the top 10% over $46.61.

How much does a surgical technologist make a month?

At the median salary of $64,650, a surgical technologist earns about $5,388 a month before tax, or $2,487 every two weeks.

Which state pays surgical technologists the most?

Massachusetts has the highest average pay for a surgical technologist, at $83,820 a year. Next are California and New York. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a surgical technologist?

The lowest-paid 10% of surgical technologists earn less than $45,940 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $54,690. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid surgical technologists make?

The top 10% earn more than $96,940 a year, and the top 25% more than $79,750.