United States · Pay by job · Healthcare Practitioners

Surgical Technologist salary and take-home pay

The typical US surgical technologist earns $64,650 a year, or $31.08 an hour (BLS, May 2025). In Texas, where the median for this job is $65,220, a single filer keeps about $54,584 a year after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.

BLS title: Surgical Technologists (SOC 29-2055). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.

How much does a surgical technologist earn?

Surgical Technologist pay in the US: the 10th to 90th percentile
Percentile Bar A year An hour
10th $45,940 $22.09
25th $54,690 $26.29
Median $64,650 $31.08
75th $79,750 $38.34
90th $96,940 $46.61

The middle half of people in this job earn $54,690 to $79,750 a year, and about 117,460 people do it across the US (BLS, May 2025).

Take-home pay tool

The 10th percentile is where pay starts for most people in this job; the 90th, near the top.

Surgical Technologist · Texas · single · median

$54,584.27 a year after tax

$4,548.69 a month · $2,099.40 a paycheck (every two weeks)

Pay and taxes for the year
Pay before tax$65,220.00
Federal income tax−$5,646.40
Social Security and Medicare−$4,989.33
Texas tax and payroll contributionsnone
Take-home pay$54,584.27

Pay: the median for this job in Texas, $65,220 a year (BLS). One job, standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, the year’s tax spread over 26 paychecks.

What does a surgical technologist take home at each pay point?

A single filer on the national figures, paid every two weeks, with nothing taken before tax:

Surgical Technologist take-home pay at each percentile, 2026
Pay a yearTexasCaliforniaNew York
10th $45,940 $39,093$37,710$36,979
25th $54,690 $46,123$44,158$43,500
Median $64,650 $54,126$51,434$50,922
75th $79,750 $64,934$60,852$60,849
90th $96,940 $77,027$71,141$71,905

Take-home after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax for 2026. New York is outside New York City.

Where does a surgical technologist keep the most after tax?

Our 19 states, ranked by take-home pay on each state’s own median for this job (single filer). Only these 19 states have take-home figures so far.

Surgical Technologist: states ranked by take-home pay at the median
RankStateMedian payTake-home
1 Alaska $80,380 $65,106
2 Washington $77,270 $62,118
3 Nevada $75,480 $61,930
4 California $81,310 $61,802
5 New Hampshire $75,040 $61,621
6 New York $79,550 $60,720
7 New Jersey $77,200 $59,898
8 Texas $65,220 $54,584
9 Virginia $67,580 $53,301
10 Florida $62,440 $52,351
11 Georgia $64,010 $51,166
12 Illinois $64,650 $51,071
13 Ohio $62,420 $51,061
14 Tennessee $60,530 $50,816
15 Michigan $63,320 $50,617
16 Pennsylvania $62,680 $50,575
17 South Dakota $59,870 $50,286
18 Wyoming $58,850 $49,466
19 North Carolina $60,920 $49,207

How much does a surgical technologist earn in each state?

Surgical Technologist median pay and employment in every state and DC (BLS, May 2025)
StateMedian payPeople in the jobTake-home (single)
Alabama $49,420 2,480 not yet
Alaska $80,380 310 $65,106 (#1)
Arizona $72,260 2,410 not yet
Arkansas $57,400 1,640 not yet
California $81,310 11,920 $61,802 (#4)
Colorado $75,740 2,100 not yet
Connecticut $79,890 1,220 not yet
Delaware $62,250 340 not yet
District of Columbia $77,520 340 not yet
Florida $62,440 9,120 $52,351 (#10)
Georgia $64,010 4,380 $51,166 (#11)
Hawaii $82,640 290 not yet
Idaho $72,550 1,100 not yet
Illinois $64,650 3,570 $51,071 (#12)
Indiana $64,240 2,680 not yet
Iowa $60,540 950 not yet
Kansas $60,600 1,200 not yet
Kentucky $60,490 1,440 not yet
Louisiana $57,370 2,230 not yet
Maine $62,860 470 not yet
Maryland $68,970 1,880 not yet
Massachusetts $80,870 2,220 not yet
Michigan $63,320 3,840 $50,617 (#15)
Minnesota $80,210 1,770 not yet
Mississippi $49,810 1,110 not yet
Missouri $61,120 2,100 not yet
Montana $60,970 490 not yet
Nebraska $63,880 770 not yet
Nevada $75,480 1,110 $61,930 (#3)
New Hampshire $75,040 370 $61,621 (#5)
New Jersey $77,200 2,780 $59,898 (#7)
New Mexico $51,780 540 not yet
New York $79,550 6,540 $60,720 (#6)
North Carolina $60,920 4,400 $49,207 (#19)
North Dakota $61,640 370 not yet
Ohio $62,420 3,730 $51,061 (#13)
Oklahoma $61,190 1,940 not yet
Oregon $81,390 1,090 not yet
Pennsylvania $62,680 4,490 $50,575 (#16)
Rhode Island $74,130 240 not yet
South Carolina $62,160 2,680 not yet
South Dakota $59,870 600 $50,286 (#17)
Tennessee $60,530 3,310 $50,816 (#14)
Texas $65,220 10,160 $54,584 (#8)
Utah $62,720 1,170 not yet
Vermont $60,660 140 not yet
Virginia $67,580 1,910 $53,301 (#9)
Washington $77,270 2,510 $62,118 (#2)
West Virginia $49,110 580 not yet
Wisconsin $74,120 2,180 not yet
Wyoming $58,850 210 $49,466 (#18)

Median yearly pay for this job in each state, from BLS. Take-home and its rank are for the 19 states with a take-home engine so far. Each linked state shows its highest-paying jobs after tax.

What is the job outlook for a surgical technologist?

BLS expects jobs as a surgical technologist to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,100 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).

Job growth, 2025 to 2035
+5%
Openings a year
about 7,100
Usual education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Work experience
None
On-the-job training
None

The 10 healthcare practitioners jobs closest in pay to a surgical technologist:

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Where do these figures come from?

Pay is the BLS estimate for all employers in May 2025 (the latest), and the outlook is from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Your own pay depends on your employer, area and experience. Take-home is our estimate for 2026: one job, the standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, from the same engine as our paycheck calculator.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables (BLS); Employment Projections tables (BLS). This site is independent and not part of the BLS.

Questions about surgical technologist pay

How much does a surgical technologist make an hour?

The median is $31.08 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $26.29 to $38.34, and the top 10% earn $46.61 or more.

Which state pays a surgical technologist the most?

Among the 50 states and DC, Hawaii has the highest median for this job: $82,640 a year (BLS). After tax, of the 19 states we cover, Alaska leaves the most: $65,106 a year for a single filer on its median of $80,380.

What is a surgical technologist’s take-home pay?

On the national median of $64,650, a single filer keeps about $54,126 a year in Texas (no state income tax), $51,434 in California and $50,922 in New York outside New York City, after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax. Pick your state in the tool above.

What education do you need to be a surgical technologist?

BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the usual way in, with no work experience in a related job and no on-the-job training once hired.

Is the number of surgical technologist jobs growing?

BLS expects jobs as a surgical technologist to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,100 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).