BLS surgical technologist pay by state and percentile, on-call and shift differentials, overtime and take-home after 2026 tax
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.
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 |
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 |
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 |
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.
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).
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 |
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).
More ways to work with your surgical tech pay:
$64,650 a year ($31.08 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $54,690 to $79,750.
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).
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.
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.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.