Surgical tech salary by percentile
Half of the country's 117,460 surgical technologists earn more than $64,650 a year, and the middle half earn between $54,690 and $79,750.[onet_surg][oews][oews_api] The table converts each point of the BLS distribution into an hourly rate and into what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.[irs][ssa]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $45,940 | $22.09 | $39,093 |
| 25th | $54,690 | $26.29 | $46,123 |
| Median (50th) | $64,650 | $31.08 | $54,126 |
| 75th | $79,750 | $38.34 | $64,934 |
| 90th | $96,940 | $46.61 | $77,027 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
The 10th percentile ($45,940) is the best public stand-in for a new-graduate wage, since the bottom of the range is mostly people early in their careers or in low-paying regions. A $100,000 surgical tech salary is above the 90th percentile nationally; it is realistic only in a handful of West Coast metro areas, as the metro table below shows.
Scrub tech salary: who is counted
Scrub tech salary, OR tech salary and surgical technologist salary are the same figure in government data: BLS counts all of them in one occupation, surgical technologists (SOC 29-2055).[sum_surg] O*NET's sample of reported job titles for this group includes "CST", "OR Tech", "Scrub Technician" and "Surgical Scrub Technologist". Surgical assistants, a more advanced role, are a separate occupation with their own BLS median ($66,800 in May 2025) and are not in these figures.[ooh_surg]
Surgical techs earn more than the other short-program careers on this site: the median is $18,960 above a medical assistant's ($45,690) and $4,050 above a paramedic's ($60,600).[onet_ma][onet_para] Sterile processing techs, who prepare the instrument sets surgical techs use, earn $47,700 (see sterile processing technician salary). Two-year routes pay less: the veterinary technician salary median is $47,380, and medical coders, covered on medical billing and coding salary, earn $51,140. The full ranking of seven careers is on the allied health salary overview.
Surgical tech hourly pay
Surgical tech hourly pay is $31.08 at the national median, $22.09 at the 10th percentile and $46.61 at the 90th.[onet_surg] BLS turns hourly rates into annual pay at 2,080 hours (40 hours × 52 weeks), and its survey wage is straight-time pay only, so overtime, call-back pay and shift differentials are left out.[oews_faq] Operating rooms run on-call schedules, which is why hospital offers often list a call rate on top of the base. Under federal law, hours over 40 in a workweek earn at least 1.5 times the regular rate for hourly workers.[dol_ot]
| Percentile | Hourly | 32 h/week | 36 h/week | 40 h/week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $22.09 | $36,752 | $41,346 | $45,940 |
| 25th | $26.29 | $43,752 | $49,221 | $54,690 |
| Median | $31.08 | $51,720 | $58,185 | $64,650 |
| 75th | $38.34 | $63,800 | $71,775 | $79,750 |
| 90th | $46.61 | $77,552 | $87,246 | $96,940 |
Surgical tech salary by state
Hawaii pays surgical techs the most ($82,640 median), followed by Oregon ($81,390), California ($81,310) and Massachusetts ($80,870); West Virginia is lowest at $49,110.[onet_surg] The four largest states sit at very different points: California ranks #3 ($81,310), Texas ranks #21 ($65,220), Florida ranks #30 ($62,440), New York ranks #8 ($79,550). California's metro-by-metro detail is on surgical tech salary in California.
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hawaii | $82,640 | $39.73 | $39,370 | $94,010 |
| 2. Oregon | $81,390 | $39.13 | $59,930 | $97,330 |
| 3. California | $81,310 | $39.09 | $49,140 | $115,740 |
| 4. Massachusetts | $80,870 | $38.88 | $60,350 | $109,550 |
| 5. Alaska | $80,380 | $38.64 | $54,840 | $101,060 |
| 6. Minnesota | $80,210 | $38.56 | $62,820 | $98,470 |
| 7. Connecticut | $79,890 | $38.41 | $45,980 | $104,920 |
| 8. New York | $79,550 | $38.25 | $53,680 | $105,330 |
| 9. District of Columbia | $77,520 | $37.27 | $37,800 | $101,180 |
| 10. Washington | $77,270 | $37.15 | $55,270 | $103,690 |
| 11. New Jersey | $77,200 | $37.12 | $48,270 | $100,490 |
| 12. Colorado | $75,740 | $36.41 | $51,040 | $92,580 |
| 13. Nevada | $75,480 | $36.29 | $48,330 | $102,430 |
| 14. New Hampshire | $75,040 | $36.08 | $56,760 | $87,560 |
| 15. Rhode Island | $74,130 | $35.64 | $49,910 | $101,850 |
| 16. Wisconsin | $74,120 | $35.63 | $59,410 | $86,670 |
| 17. Idaho | $72,550 | $34.88 | $48,430 | $87,210 |
| 18. Arizona | $72,260 | $34.74 | $50,030 | $96,840 |
| 19. Maryland | $68,970 | $33.16 | $45,590 | $85,820 |
| 20. Virginia | $67,580 | $32.49 | $47,980 | $102,020 |
| 21. Texas | $65,220 | $31.36 | $39,950 | $92,580 |
| 22. Illinois | $64,650 | $31.08 | $48,560 | $91,890 |
| 23. Indiana | $64,240 | $30.88 | $51,350 | $80,600 |
| 24. Georgia | $64,010 | $30.77 | $40,390 | $84,040 |
| 25. Nebraska | $63,880 | $30.71 | $49,870 | $79,350 |
| 26. Michigan | $63,320 | $30.44 | $43,690 | $79,550 |
| 27. Maine | $62,860 | $30.22 | $48,330 | $80,380 |
| 28. Utah | $62,720 | $30.15 | $45,760 | $87,430 |
| 29. Pennsylvania | $62,680 | $30.13 | $47,130 | $77,760 |
| 30. Florida | $62,440 | $30.02 | $41,270 | $85,620 |
| 31. Ohio | $62,420 | $30.01 | $48,110 | $80,640 |
| 32. Delaware | $62,250 | $29.93 | $48,150 | $79,310 |
| 33. South Carolina | $62,160 | $29.88 | $38,830 | $75,210 |
| 34. North Dakota | $61,640 | $29.63 | $50,440 | $72,120 |
| 35. Oklahoma | $61,190 | $29.42 | $49,200 | $77,320 |
| 36. Missouri | $61,120 | $29.38 | $44,930 | $78,410 |
| 37. Montana | $60,970 | $29.31 | $37,690 | $79,330 |
| 38. North Carolina | $60,920 | $29.29 | $45,990 | $78,650 |
| 39. Vermont | $60,660 | $29.16 | $49,510 | $88,460 |
| 40. Kansas | $60,600 | $29.13 | $44,720 | $76,880 |
| 41. Iowa | $60,540 | $29.11 | $47,280 | $75,100 |
| 42. Tennessee | $60,530 | $29.10 | $47,620 | $75,920 |
| 43. Kentucky | $60,490 | $29.08 | $41,440 | $79,980 |
| 44. South Dakota | $59,870 | $28.78 | $38,450 | $75,470 |
| 45. Wyoming | $58,850 | $28.29 | $45,080 | $79,920 |
| 46. Arkansas | $57,400 | $27.60 | $38,750 | $75,460 |
| 47. Louisiana | $57,370 | $27.58 | $36,580 | $74,650 |
| 48. New Mexico | $51,780 | $24.89 | $42,430 | $78,650 |
| 49. Mississippi | $49,810 | $23.95 | $38,800 | $66,300 |
| 50. Alabama | $49,420 | $23.76 | $36,490 | $64,360 |
| 51. West Virginia | $49,110 | $23.61 | $38,010 | $72,010 |
Highest-paying metro areas for surgical techs
The best-paying metro area for surgical technologists is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, with a median of $106,840.[onet_surg] Northern California dominates the list; pick any state in the calculator to load every metro and nonmetro area BLS publishes for it.
| Metro area | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $106,840 | $51.37 | $77,640 | $133,480 |
| 2. Vallejo, CA | $105,260 | $50.61 | $64,580 | $126,210 |
| 3. Napa, CA | $102,490 | $49.27 | $75,350 | $129,180 |
| 4. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $100,130 | $48.14 | $65,260 | $130,480 |
| 5. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $99,960 | $48.06 | $61,470 | $121,010 |
| 6. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $99,390 | $47.78 | $62,570 | $123,530 |
| 7. Redding, CA | $89,940 | $43.24 | $50,440 | $102,720 |
| 8. Urban Honolulu, HI | $87,330 | $41.99 | $35,360 | $92,830 |
| 9. Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $86,790 | $41.73 | $49,390 | $108,070 |
| 10. North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $86,410 | $41.54 | $57,360 | $104,110 |
| 11. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $84,120 | $40.44 | $58,810 | $104,780 |
| 12. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $83,580 | $40.18 | $60,000 | $104,920 |
What moves a surgical tech's pay
Location explains more of the spread than anything else in the public data: the gap between the top and bottom state medians is $33,530. Within one market, the usual levers are:
- Call and shift work. Nights, weekends and call are paid on top of the base rate and are not in the BLS figure.
- Experience. The distance from the 25th to the 75th percentile is $25,060; most of the climb comes from years in the OR and the cases a tech can scrub without supervision.
- Certification. Texas, for example, bars licensed health care facilities from employing anyone to practice surgical technology without an accredited program and national certification, and Virginia and Washington control use of the title.[tx_259][va_st][wa_st] The CST exam and the training route are covered on how to become a surgical tech, and how to choose an accredited school on surgical tech programs.
- Setting. Hospital operating rooms, outpatient surgery centers and physician or dental offices set pay differently, so compare offers within the same market.
To check an offer, enter it in the calculator above with your real weekly hours and state tax rate. The result shows the percentile it reaches in that state or metro area and the take-home pay per month.
Frequently asked questions
How much do surgical techs make?
The national median is $64,650 a year (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $54,690 to $79,750.
How much do surgical techs make an hour?
$31.08 at the median, from $22.09 at the 10th percentile to $46.61 at the 90th, before overtime and call pay.
Which state pays surgical techs the most?
Hawaii ($82,640 median), then Oregon and California. West Virginia pays the least ($49,110).
Is a scrub tech the same as a surgical tech?
Yes. Scrub tech and OR tech are job titles within the surgical technologist occupation, so they share the same BLS wage figures.
Can a surgical tech make $100,000?
Rarely. $100,000 is above the 90th percentile nationally, but it is close to the median in the top Bay Area metros.
Sources
- Local Wages: 29-2055.00 Surgical Technologists (state and metro percentiles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS national employment and wage series, May 2025 (BLS Public Data API, series OEUN0000000000000
01 and 13) - OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- Summary Report for 29-2055.00 Surgical Technologists (sample job titles)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Surgical Assistants and Technologists
- Local Wages: 31-9092.00 Medical Assistants (state and metro percentiles)
- Local Wages: 29-2043.00 Paramedics (state and metro percentiles)
- Overtime Pay (Fair Labor Standards Act)
- Health and Safety Code chapter 259, Surgical Technologists at Health Care Facilities (§259.002)
- Code of Virginia §54.1-2956.12, Surgical technologists; certification
- RCW 18.215, Surgical technologists (registration)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Contribution and Benefit Base ($184,500 for 2026)