Registered Nurse RN

Registered Nurse, Free Care Plans, Free NCLEX Review, Nurse Salary, and much more. Join the nursing revolution.

  • RN
    • Nursing Clinical Skills
  • Nursing Videos
  • Blog
  • Nursing School
  • Nursing Care Plans
  • Nursing Quizzes
  • Nursing
  • Nursing Jobs
  • NCLEX Review
  • Store

Surgical Tech Salary | Surgical Technologist Programs, Job Duties, Certification

Surgical technologists (also called operating room techs, scrubs techs, or surgical assistants) assist healthcare professions during surgical operations. Surgical techs earn competitive salaries considering the relatively low education requirements, and they perform a variety of duties on the job.

In this article, you’ll learn the job duties of a surgical tech (“a day in the life”), the education requirements (“how to become a surgical tech”), certification options, the job likes and dislikes, and the detailed salary statistics for all 50 states for this profession.

Surgical Tech Job Duties and Overview

Surgical techs assist with many aspects of the surgical process. Some of the daily tasks include the following:

  • Prepare operating rooms for surgery
  • Sterilize equipment and make sure that there are adequate supplies for surgery
  • Ready patients for surgery, such as by washing and disinfecting incision sites, positioning the patient on the table, and applying sterile drapes.
  • Help surgeons during surgery by passing them instruments and other sterile supplies
  • Assist in holding organs in place and preparing robotic equipment or new technology
  • Apply bandages to wounds
  • Count supplies, such as sponges and instruments
  • Transport specimens for lab analysis
  • Transport patients to recovery room after the operation
  • Maintain a sterile environment

Surgical Tech Education Requirements and Programs

To become a surgical tech, you’ll first need a high school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent. Next, you’ll need to attend an accredited program for surgical technologists. You can do this through a certificate or diploma program (sometimes offered directly by hospitals), or you can complete an associate degree program (offered at community colleges or technical schools).

It can take between nine months to two years to become a surgical technologist, depending on the type of program or state requirements.

Surgical Tech Certification

Certification can increase the job prospects for surgical technologists, and there are a couple of different options for becoming certified. You can become a “Certified Surgical Technologists (CST)” by completing the education and testing requirements for The National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting.

In addition, certification is possible through the National Center for Competency Testing, which allows the use of the title “Tech in Surgery – Certified (NCCT).”

These certification programs generally require continuing education.

Do Surgical Technologists Like Their Jobs?

Many surgical technologists report job satisfaction. However, like all jobs, there are some “likes and dislikes” in this profession. Here are some things that many surgical techs like about their job:

Job Likes:

  • Competitive salary considering the fact that the education requirements are not extensive
  • Surgeries are extremely fascinating to observe
  • Great experience can be obtained in this profession, and some surgical techs go on to become nurses or doctors.

Job Dislikes:

  • It can be physically exhausting standing on your feet all day (and you’ll want to invest in good shoes, foam inserts, and compression stockings)
  • Unpredictable or long hours at some facilities, or erratic schedule
  • Surgeons can be rude
  • It can be difficult to take restroom breaks given the urgency of surgery

Average Salary Income for Surgical Techs

Surgical techs earn a competitive salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2014, surgical techs earned an average salary of $45,010 and an average hourly wage of $21.64 in the United States. Those numbers are only averages, and you may make more or less, depending on your job experience, the state in which you live, the industry in which you work, and more.

Surgical technologists held about 99,800 jobs in 2014. About 70 percent of surgical technologists worked in hospitals in 2014. Some work in outpatient care centers or in offices of physicians who perform outpatient surgery.

Employment of surgical technologists is projected to grow 15 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for surgical techs:

Employment Employment RSE Mean hourly wage Mean annual wage Wage RSE
98,450 1.2 % $21.64 $45,010 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50% (Median) 75% 90%
Hourly Wage $14.80 $17.11 $20.84 $25.43 $29.89
Annual Wage $30,780 $35,580 $43,350 $52,890 $62,170

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 67,950 1.29 $21.45 $44,620
Offices of Physicians 11,710 0.48 $21.99 $45,730
Outpatient Care Centers 9,620 1.38 $22.16 $46,090
Offices of Dentists 4,000 0.45 $20.64 $42,920
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 1,540 0.63 $23.00 $47,840

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Home Health Care Services n/a n/a $30.01 $62,420
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 440 0.01 $25.55 $53,130
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 560 0.07 $25.22 $52,460
Employment Services 1,370 0.04 $23.00 $47,850
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 1,540 0.63 $23.00 $47,840

Top paying states for this occupation:

State Employment Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Nevada 870 0.73 1.00 $27.64 $57,500
District of Columbia 250 0.38 0.52 $27.49 $57,170
California 9,710 0.64 0.88 $27.47 $57,140
Hawaii 350 0.58 0.79 $27.05 $56,270
Connecticut 1,040 0.63 0.87 $26.28 $54,660

Lowest paying states for surgical technologists:

State: Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Annual median wage
Puerto Rico 9.71 20,190 18,480
Alabama 16.49 34,300 33,350
Mississippi 17.20 35,780 35,140
West Virginia 17.68 36,780 35,900
South Carolina 17.74 36,900 36,030
Oklahoma 18.28 38,030 36,610

Surgical tech salaries for all 50 states:

State: Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Annual median wage
Alabama 16.49 34,300 33,350
Alaska 25.21 52,440 53,030
Arizona 23.55 48,990 48,120
Arkansas 19.35 40,240 38,320
California 27.47 57,140 55,870
Colorado 24.18 50,300 50,270
Connecticut 26.28 54,660 54,940
Delaware 21.02 43,730 42,990
District of Columbia 27.49 57,170 57,450
Florida 19.15 39,820 39,000
Georgia 18.83 39,160 38,360
Hawaii 27.05 56,270 57,170
Idaho 20.04 41,670 40,250
Illinois 21.30 44,310 42,960
Indiana 20.04 41,680 40,930
Iowa 18.69 38,870 38,250
Kansas 19.35 40,260 38,150
Kentucky 18.59 38,680 37,320
Louisiana 18.73 38,950 38,680
Maine 20.94 43,560 42,210
Maryland 23.18 48,220 47,670
Massachusetts 23.88 49,670 47,460
Michigan 20.38 42,400 42,480
Minnesota 24.25 50,450 50,600
Mississippi 17.20 35,780 35,140
Missouri 19.69 40,950 39,230
Montana 20.69 43,030 40,300
Nebraska 19.90 41,390 40,510
Nevada 27.64 57,500 57,160
New Hampshire 22.91 47,650 46,700
New Jersey 22.99 47,830 47,170
New Mexico 20.00 41,590 41,010
New York 24.04 49,990 48,880
North Carolina 19.16 39,850 38,870
North Dakota 18.68 38,860 38,300
Ohio 20.39 42,420 41,450
Oklahoma 18.28 38,030 36,610
Oregon 23.53 48,950 48,970
Pennsylvania 19.49 40,530 39,890
Puerto Rico 9.71 20,190 18,480
Rhode Island 23.83 49,570 48,600
South Carolina 17.74 36,900 36,030
South Dakota 18.46 38,390 37,650
Tennessee 18.57 38,620 37,470
Texas 21.18 44,050 43,150
Utah 18.30 38,060 36,160
Vermont 18.78 39,060 37,640
Virginia 22.81 47,450 44,400
Washington 24.18 50,290 50,310
West Virginia 17.68 36,780 35,900
Wisconsin 23.76 49,420 48,950
Wyoming 22.05 45,870 44,700

Other References:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Surgical Technologists, on the Internet at bls.gov.

Please Share:

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
Nursing Gear

RSS Latest YouTube Videos

  • Do Nurses Really Need to Know This?
  • This Vein is Going to Roll... Nurse IV Insertion Tips #shorts
  • Nursing Graduation Spring Class of 2022: Congratulations!!
  • 6 Reasons to Become a Nurse #shorts

Recent Posts

  • Sinus Tachycardia ECG/EKG Rhythm Nursing Review
  • Sinus Tachycardia ECG/EKG Rhythm Quiz
  • Crying in Nursing School
  • Desired over Have by Weight Examples Dosage Calculations
  • Tablets and Capsules Dosage Calculations (Desired over Have Method)

Disclosure and Privacy Policy

This website provides entertainment value only, not medical advice or nursing protocols. We strive for 100% accuracy, but nursing procedures and state laws are constantly changing. By accessing any content on this site or its related media channels, you agree never to hold us liable for damages, harm, loss, or misinformation. See our full disclosure and privacy policy. Copyright Notice: Do not copy this site, articles, images, or its contents without permission.

Important Links

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us

Follow Us on Social Media

  • Facebook Nursing
  • Instagram Nursing
  • TikTok Nurse
  • Twitter Nursing
  • YouTube Nursing

Get Free Email Updates:

Enter your email address below and hit "Submit" to receive free email updates and nursing tips.

Copyright © 2022 RegisteredNurseRN.com. All Rights Reserved.