Surgical Technologist Hourly Pay & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 5,504 US job postings by 790 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for surgical technologists: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 5,504 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for surgical technologists in US job postings is $35.17 an hour (831 postings from 194 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $30.56 to $41.17 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $38.20 an hour (332 postings).
- The skills that most set surgical technologist postings apart are aseptic technique, sterile technique, surgical procedures.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 1 year of experience.
Surgical Technologist job postings in the US, October 2026
- $35.17/hr
- Median advertised pay (831 postings)
- $30.56–$41.17
- Middle 50% of postings
- $38.20/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 5,504
- US job postings from 790 employers
How much does a surgical technologist make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $35.17 an hour, from 831 US job postings by 194 employers that state pay. That is about $74,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 831 US surgical technologist job postings: median $74,000 a year ($35.17 an hour), middle half $64,000 to $86,000.
- Median: $74,000 ($35.17/hr)
- 25th percentile: $64,000
- 75th percentile: $86,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $20K–$30K | 0.7% |
| $30K–$40K | 1.5% |
| $40K–$50K | 4.1% |
| $50K–$60K | 14.4% |
| $60K–$70K | 20.9% |
| $70K–$80K | 20.0% |
| $80K–$90K | 19.5% |
| $90K–$100K | 8.3% |
| $100K–$110K | 4.6% |
| $110K–$120K | 1.8% |
| $120K–$130K | 1.6% |
| $130K–$140K | 0.7% |
| $140K–$150K | 1.1% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $35.17 | $30.56–$41.17 | 672 |
| All pay postings, annualised | $74,000 | $64K–$86K | 831 |
For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median annual wage of Surgical Technologists (29-2055) at $65,000 (May 2025). Postings advertise pay; the BLS measures what people earn, across all employers and levels.
What is the starting salary for a surgical technologist?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $38.20 an hour (332 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $38.20/hr | 332 |
| 2-4 years | withheld | 164 |
| 5+ years | withheld | 10 |
Surgical technologist levels and pay
Levels as they appear in job titles, ordered by the median experience asked.
| Level in title | Share of postings | Median experience asked | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| No level in title | 90.8% | 1 year | $35.17/hr |
| Level II | 4.6% | 1 year | – |
Highest-paying surgical technologist jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surgical Technologist (general) | $35.70/hr | 753 | 176 |
Skills employers ask for in surgical technologist job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 17% |
| Aseptic technique | 15% |
| Sterile technique | 12% |
| Surgical procedures | 10% |
| Interpersonal skills | 8% |
| Teamwork | 8% |
| Attention to detail | 8% |
| Human anatomy | 8% |
| Customer service | 7% |
| Aseptic techniques | 7% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set surgical technologists apart
- Aseptic technique83.4× as often as in all postings · 15%
- Sterile technique121.2× as often as in all postings · 12%
- Surgical procedures263.2× as often as in all postings · 10%
- Human anatomy123.8× as often as in all postings · 8%
- Sterile and aseptic technique429.2× as often as in all postings · 5%
- Aseptic techniques65.6× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Medical terminology10.6× as often as in all postings · 6%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a surgical technologist job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a surgical technologist do?
Employers post these jobs as Surgical Technician, Certified Surgical Technologist, Surgical Tech, Certified Surgical Tech, Certified Surgical Technician and other titles. The largest specializations are Surgical Assistant (2%), Endoscopy Technician (1%), Anesthesia Technician (under 1%).
The closest official occupation is Surgical Technologists (29-2055.00). Its most important tasks:
- Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
- Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
- Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
- Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
- Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a surgical technologist?
Among 1,521 postings that state a minimum, the median is 1 year. 2% say 0 years and 56% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 1,521 US surgical technologist job postings: median 1 year, and 56% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 3% |
| 1 yr | 53% |
| 2 yrs | 28% |
| 3-4 yrs | 12% |
| 5-7 yrs | 3% |
| 8-9 yrs | under 1% |
| 10+ yrs | under 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 82%, Part-time 18% of the 748 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a surgical technologist: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Surgical Technologist | 300 (38.0%) |
| Surgical Technician | 172 (21.8%) |
| Certified Surgical Technologist | 122 (15.4%) |
| Surgical Tech | 75 (9.5%) |
| Certified Surgical Tech | 71 (9.0%) |
| Certified Surgical Technician | 62 (7.8%) |
| Surgical Technologist II | 45 (5.7%) |
| Scrub Tech | 30 (3.8%) |
| Surg Tech | 30 (3.8%) |
| Surgical Technologist I | 25 (3.2%) |
| Surgical Tech II | 24 (3.0%) |
| Scrub Technician | 24 (3.0%) |
| Operating Room Technician | 22 (2.8%) |
| Certified Scrub Tech | 16 (2.0%) |
| OB Tech | 15 (1.9%) |
| Surgical Scrub Tech | 14 (1.8%) |
| Surgical Technician II | 13 (1.7%) |
| OB Surgical Tech | 13 (1.7%) |
| Surgical Technologist III | 11 (1.4%) |
| Surgical Technologist (CST) | 10 (1.3%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Surgical technologist job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surgical Tech | 325 | 75 | – | – | – |
| Surgical Technician | 583 | 172 | – | – | communication, aseptic technique, surgical procedures |
| Certified Surgical Technologist | 438 | 122 | – | – | aseptic technique, communication, sterile technique |
Surgical Technologist vs Surgical Technician
| Surgical Technologist | Surgical Technician | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 1,185 | 583 |
| Employers | 300 | 172 |
| Median advertised pay | $37.35/hr | – |
| Median experience asked | 1 year | – |
| Skills that stand out | – | – |
Surgical Technologist compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surgical Technologist | $35.17/hr | 1 year | 5,504 | – |
| Pharmacy Technician | $23.66/hr | 1 year | 23,772 | 13 |
| Perfusionist | – | – | 202 | 12 |
| Sterile Processing Technician | $26.00/hr | 1 year | 2,241 | 15 |
| Radiologic Technologist | $42.58/hr | 1 year | 22,330 | 15 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy Technician | 13 | $23.66/hr |
| Perfusionist | 12 | – |
| Sterile Processing Technician | 15 | $26.00/hr |
| Radiologic Technologist | 15 | $42.58/hr |
| Biologist | 11 | – |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | 14 | $47.00/hr |
Applying for surgical technologist jobs?
- Surgical technologist resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find surgical technologist jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
How much does a surgical technologist make an hour?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 40 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 36 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.