How Much Do Surgical Techs Make a Year? Surgical Technologist Pay
BLS surgical technologist pay by state and percentile, on-call and shift differentials, overtime and take-home after 2026 tax
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How Much Do Surgical Techs Make a Year? Surgical Technologist Pay
Printed 2026-10-27 from billorganizingapp.com/income/calculators/surgical-tech-salary/ — an estimate for planning, not financial or tax advice.
United States surgical technologists: median $31.08/hr, 10th–90th percentile $22.09–$46.61 (BLS OEWS May 2025). Your rate is in the between the median and the 75th percentile.
Estimate for 2026: federal income tax (standard deduction), Social Security and Medicare, a flat state rate you enter, and the overtime deduction on the half-time premium when your overtime is legally required. No credits or itemised deductions. Starting wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, which excludes overtime and shift differentials.
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Surgical technologists earned a median salary of $64,650 in May 2025 ($31.08 an hour), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' count of 117,460. The bottom tenth earned under $45,940 and the top tenth over $96,940. Call pay, overtime and shift differentials — a big part of hospital OR work — are excluded.
Surgical techs: pay at every level
This is the BLS line for surgical technologists (SOC 29-2055), the operating room technicians who prepare rooms and pass instruments. Surgical assistants, who help directly with incisions and closing, are a separate line with a BLS median of $66,800. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.09 | $45,940 | $3,828 | $39,093 |
| 25th percentile | $26.29 | $54,690 | $4,558 | $46,123 |
| Median | $31.08 | $64,650 | $5,388 | $54,126 |
| 75th percentile | $38.34 | $79,750 | $6,646 | $64,934 |
| 90th percentile | $46.61 | $96,940 | $8,078 | $77,027 |
Surgical tech pay by state
Hawaii ($82,640), Oregon ($81,390) and California ($81,310) are almost level at the top, and California has the most surgical techs, 11,920. West Virginia pays least at $49,110. Texas, the second-largest employer, pays $65,220, and Florida $62,440.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $39.73 | $82,640 | 290 |
| Oregon | $39.13 | $81,390 | 1,090 |
| California | $39.09 | $81,310 | 11,920 |
| Massachusetts | $38.88 | $80,870 | 2,220 |
| Alaska | $38.65 | $80,380 | 310 |
| Minnesota | $38.56 | $80,210 | 1,770 |
| Connecticut | $38.41 | $79,890 | 1,220 |
| New York | $38.25 | $79,550 | 6,540 |
| District of Columbia | $37.27 | $77,520 | 340 |
| Washington | $37.15 | $77,270 | 2,510 |
| New Jersey | $37.12 | $77,200 | 2,780 |
| Colorado | $36.41 | $75,740 | 2,100 |
| Nevada | $36.29 | $75,480 | 1,110 |
| New Hampshire | $36.08 | $75,040 | 370 |
| Rhode Island | $35.64 | $74,130 | 240 |
| Wisconsin | $35.64 | $74,120 | 2,180 |
| Idaho | $34.88 | $72,550 | 1,100 |
| Arizona | $34.74 | $72,260 | 2,410 |
| Maryland | $33.16 | $68,970 | 1,880 |
| Virginia | $32.49 | $67,580 | 1,910 |
| Texas | $31.35 | $65,220 | 10,160 |
| Illinois | $31.08 | $64,650 | 3,570 |
| Indiana | $30.89 | $64,240 | 2,680 |
| Georgia | $30.77 | $64,010 | 4,380 |
| Nebraska | $30.71 | $63,880 | 770 |
| Michigan | $30.44 | $63,320 | 3,840 |
| Maine | $30.22 | $62,860 | 470 |
| Utah | $30.15 | $62,720 | 1,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $30.14 | $62,680 | 4,490 |
| Florida | $30.02 | $62,440 | 9,120 |
| Ohio | $30.01 | $62,420 | 3,730 |
| Delaware | $29.93 | $62,250 | 340 |
| South Carolina | $29.89 | $62,160 | 2,680 |
| North Dakota | $29.63 | $61,640 | 370 |
| Oklahoma | $29.42 | $61,190 | 1,940 |
| Missouri | $29.39 | $61,120 | 2,100 |
| Montana | $29.31 | $60,970 | 490 |
| North Carolina | $29.29 | $60,920 | 4,400 |
| Vermont | $29.17 | $60,660 | 140 |
| Kansas | $29.13 | $60,600 | 1,200 |
| Iowa | $29.11 | $60,540 | 950 |
| Tennessee | $29.10 | $60,530 | 3,310 |
| Kentucky | $29.08 | $60,490 | 1,440 |
| South Dakota | $28.79 | $59,870 | 600 |
| Wyoming | $28.29 | $58,850 | 210 |
| Arkansas | $27.60 | $57,400 | 1,640 |
| Louisiana | $27.58 | $57,370 | 2,230 |
| New Mexico | $24.90 | $51,780 | 540 |
| Mississippi | $23.95 | $49,810 | 1,110 |
| Alabama | $23.76 | $49,420 | 2,480 |
| West Virginia | $23.61 | $49,110 | 580 |
Which employers pay surgical techs most
Hospitals ($65,020), outpatient care centers ($64,670) and physicians' offices ($64,590) pay surgical techs almost the same; administrative and support services pay $62,400 and dentists' offices much less, $48,190 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $65,020 |
| Outpatient care centers | $64,670 |
| Offices of physicians | $64,590 |
| Administrative and support services | $62,400 |
| Offices of dentists | $48,190 |
A surgical tech's schedule
Most surgical technologists work full time. In hospitals, which employ 71% of them, they may work or be on call during nights, weekends and holidays, and shifts can run past 8 hours; outpatient care centers, including ambulatory surgery centers, employ another 10% (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Surgery centers tend to run scheduled daytime cases, which is a different trade-off from a hospital's call schedule.
Overtime for surgical techs
Surgical techs are generally hourly employees owed overtime after 40 hours a week; a hospital can use the 8-and-80 system by prior agreement instead (DOL Fact Sheet #54). On-call pay, where a hospital pays it, is not in BLS's wage figures, and neither are overtime or shift differentials (BLS OEWS FAQ).
What a shift differential adds at the median
BLS's wage figures leave out shift differentials. The table adds a night or weekend differential to the median $31.08 an hour for 12 hours a week (one 12-hour shift) over 52 weeks. Differentials vary by employer and contract; these amounts are examples to show the arithmetic, not typical rates.
| Differential | Extra a year | Average hourly over 40 hours a week |
|---|---|---|
| $1.00/hour | $624 | $31.38 |
| $2.00/hour | $1,248 | $31.68 |
| $3.00/hour | $1,872 | $31.98 |
| $5.00/hour | $3,120 | $32.58 |
Training, licenses and pay
Surgical technologists typically need a certificate or associate's degree from an accredited program at a community college, vocational school, university or hospital, covering anatomy, microbiology, sterilization, infection control and setting up robotic equipment, plus supervised clinical work. Certification through a credentialing organization usually requires an accredited or military program and an exam, many jobs require CPR or BLS certification, and some states regulate the work (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
Related tools and guides
More ways to work with your surgical tech pay:
Official sources
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS May 2025: Surgical Technologists (29-2055) wage estimates
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Surgical Assistants and Technologists
- U.S. Department of Labor: Fact Sheet #54: The health care industry and calculating overtime pay
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS FAQ: how wages are defined (overtime and shift differentials excluded)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do surgical techs make a year?+
$64,650 a year ($31.08 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $54,690 to $79,750.
Which state pays surgical techs the most?+
Hawaii ($39.73 an hour, $82,640 a year), then Oregon and California; West Virginia pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Do surgical techs make more at hospitals or surgery centers?+
Almost the same. In the Occupational Outlook Handbook's industry table, hospitals and outpatient care centers (which include ambulatory surgery centers) have nearly equal medians, and dentists' offices pay the least of the employers listed.
Is on-call pay included in surgical tech salaries?+
No. BLS's wage figures exclude on-call pay, overtime and shift differentials, so a tech who takes call and gets called in earns more than the published figures.
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