How much do surgical technologists make in 2026?
Surgical technologists earn a national median of $64,650 a year ($31.08 an hour) per BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 29-2055). The bottom 10% earn about $45,940 and the top 10% reach $96,940. Pay follows the service you can scrub: general and outpatient surgery sits at the lower end, cardiovascular, neurosurgery, transplant and robotics sit above the median because instrument sets and sequencing are unforgiving, and surgical first assistants near the $79,750 P75 and beyond. Certification through NBSTSA is the standard hiring requirement and is mandated by statute in a growing number of states. Employment is projected to grow 4.5% through 2034 with roughly 7,000 openings a year. → Full surgical technologist career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $64,650 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Surgical Technologists earn a national median $64,650/yr ($31.08/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-2055); the P10 to P90 range is $45,940 to $96,940.
- Service line sets the rate: cardiovascular, neurosurgery, transplant and robotics pay above general surgery because instrument sets and case sequencing are far less forgiving.
- Surgical first-assistant scope is the highest-paying step available without leaving the operating room, sitting near and above the $79,750 P75.
- BLS projects 4.5% growth through 2034 with roughly 7,000 openings a year, and NBSTSA certification is now a statutory requirement in a growing number of states.
US Surgical Technologist Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do surgical technologists earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 29-2055; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-2055, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a surgical technologist earn at each career stage?
Surgical technology is a certification-led role, so the stages below follow credential and service complexity rather than tenure. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 29-2055.
By State
Which states pay surgical technologists the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. What genuinely changes by state is the certification mandate: a growing number require NBSTSA certification to work in an operating room, so check the statute before assuming experience alone transfers.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($74,350), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
surgical technologist pay by state — all 8 state guides
By Metro
Which cities pay surgical technologists the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by the published metro index for that state. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a surgical technologist’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does surgical technologist pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Surgical Technologists sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify surgical technologist wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a surgical technologist actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Surgical Technologist Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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