The median Surgical Technician salary is $34.50 per hour, or $71,760 per year, based on 1,635 job postings across 81 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$34.50
Median hourly
$71,760
Annual salary
$27-$52
Pay range
81
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Surgical Technician earns $34.50/hr, with most posted roles landing between $29.00 and $41.34/hr.
Recent posted pay is steady, with the last 30 days showing 0% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: San Francisco, CALIFORNIA is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Lexington, KY sits near the lower end.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
0%
Current median: $34.00/hr
Prior period: $34.00/hr
Job openings
+62.4%
531 recent postings
Previous period: 327 postings
Daily pay signal
$39.00/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Surgical Technician postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is holding steady across recent listings at about $34.00/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$26.50
$55,120/yr
Median
$34.50
$71,760/yr
Top earners
$51.50
$107,120/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $34.50/hr | 487 |
Mar 2026 | $33.50/hr | 371 |
Feb 2026 | $36.00/hr | 167 |
Jan 2026 | $33.00/hr | 184 |
Dec 2025 | $33.50/hr | 210 |
Nov 2025 | $38.00/hr | 216 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
5 postings · 5 companies
$21.50
$19-$22
Estimated from national data
~$30.10
—
32 postings · 4 companies
$40.00
$40-$40
5 postings · 1 companies
$32.50
$33-$33
319 postings · 71 companies
$39.50
$35-$48
47 postings · 22 companies
$34.00
$32-$35
Estimated from national data
~$35.25
—
Estimated from national data
~$30.99
—
Estimated from national data
~$31.91
—
62 postings · 33 companies
$30.50
$25-$31
29 postings · 7 companies
$27.50
$27-$41
Estimated from national data
~$30.39
—
Estimated from national data
~$30.17
—
103 postings · 27 companies
$29.50
$30-$33
5 postings · 2 companies
$23.50
$19-$24
Estimated from national data
~$31.01
—
7 postings · 2 companies
$29.00
$29-$35
44 postings · 2 companies
$26.50
$27-$29
Estimated from national data
~$35.14
—
Estimated from national data
~$34.24
—
22 postings · 15 companies
$34.50
$30-$36
49 postings · 16 companies
$40.50
$36-$44
12 postings · 6 companies
$27.50
$25-$30
7 postings · 3 companies
$34.00
$34-$41
Estimated from national data
~$34.49
—
Estimated from national data
~$27.66
—
7 postings · 2 companies
$32.00
$30-$35
22 postings · 4 companies
$28.50
$29-$31
11 postings · 7 companies
$43.50
$44-$44
Estimated from national data
~$34.90
—
70 postings · 23 companies
$34.50
$34-$37
13 postings · 3 companies
$25.50
$24-$29
80 postings · 36 companies
$37.75
$33-$45
17 postings · 7 companies
$28.50
$28-$29
Estimated from national data
~$30.54
—
9 postings · 7 companies
$28.50
$26-$29
Estimated from national data
~$35.89
—
26 postings · 8 companies
$39.75
$36-$41
6 postings · 4 companies
$30.00
$27-$30
6 postings · 2 companies
$28.00
$22-$35
8 postings · 7 companies
$24.50
$23-$30
Estimated from national data
~$28.59
—
38 postings · 3 companies
$26.50
$27-$29
94 postings · 24 companies
$33.50
$30-$38
Estimated from national data
~$27.66
—
Estimated from national data
~$35.55
—
8 postings · 4 companies
$25.50
$21-$26
47 postings · 10 companies
$39.50
$37-$46
Estimated from national data
~$33.95
—
12 postings · 4 companies
$32.50
$28-$33
Estimated from national data
~$31.52
—
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Surgical Technician salaries.
San Francisco
California · 13 postings
$58.00/hr
Palo Alto
California · 13 postings
$56.50/hr
Santa Rosa
California · 16 postings
$51.50/hr
Sacramento
California · 10 postings
$47.50/hr
New York
New York · 14 postings
$44.75/hr
Lexington
Ky · 14 postings
$26.50/hr
Lexington
Kentucky · 25 postings
$26.50/hr
Bardstown
Kentucky · 12 postings
$26.50/hr
Chattanooga
Tennessee · 35 postings
$26.50/hr
Winfield
Illinois · 21 postings
$29.50/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Surgical Technician positions.
Stanford Health Care
10 postings
$56.50/hr
Host Healthcare
10 postings
$55.49/hr
Kaiser Permanente
126 postings
$53.01/hr
Mount Sinai Health System
11 postings
$51.50/hr
Sutter Health
46 postings
$51.00/hr
Baptist Health South Florida
8 postings
$18.00/hr
Oral Surgery Associates And Dental Implant Centers
5 postings
$22.50/hr
Sca Health
24 postings
$25.50/hr
Presbyterian Healthcare Services
13 postings
$25.50/hr
Milan Eye Center
5 postings
$27.50/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical Technician | 215 | $31.00/hr |
| Certified Surgical Technician | 83 | $28.50/hr |
| Surgical Tech | 65 | $36.50/hr |
| Surgical Technician Ii | 63 | $46.50/hr |
| Certified Surgical Tech | 37 | $35.00/hr |
| Senior Surgical Technician | 28 | $55.00/hr |
| Surgical Technician Cert | 23 | $29.00/hr |
| Surgical Technician 1 Medical Center Uh: Operating Room- Full-time, Day Shift | 22 | $33.00/hr |
| Operating Room Technician | 12 | $34.00/hr |
| Surgical Technician -operating Department | 12 | $42.00/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Surgical Technician salaries.
FAQ
The median Surgical Technician salary is $34.50 per hour, or $71,760 annually. Pay ranges from $26.50/hr (10th percentile) to $51.50/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 1,635 job postings, the highest paying states for Surgical Technicians include Nevada, Massachusetts, Arizona. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 1,635 Surgical Technician job postings across 81 states, from 364 different healthcare employers.
Surgical Technician pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Surgical Technician pay is currently stable. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates remained stable.
Surgical Technician pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $6.84 to $17.00 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like San Francisco offer $58.00/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $26.50/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Surgical Technicians typically earn around $26.50 to $29.00 per hour ($55,120 to $60,320 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $34.50/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 1,635 active postings with listed compensation for Surgical Technician. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
EXPLORE MORE
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OR Tech salary data in Allied Health Professional
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