Surgical Tech Salary - What You Can Expect To Earn
Ever wondered what it's like to work right there in the operating room, helping doctors and nurses make a real difference? Well, for those thinking about a career as a surgical technologist, or perhaps just curious about what these vital team members earn, it's a topic that comes up quite a bit. You see, the money someone makes in this important role can actually shift around a good deal, depending on a few different things.
Figuring out what a surgical tech takes home is, you know, a bit like looking at a patchwork quilt. There are so many pieces that make up the whole picture, from where you happen to be working in the country to how many years you've been doing this kind of job. It's not just one simple number that applies to everyone, which is actually pretty common for many different kinds of work.
We're going to take a closer look at some of the figures and what they mean for folks in this line of work. We'll be pulling from some public information, like what the government labor statistics folks have put out, and some other reports that give us a pretty good idea of what surgical techs are making right now. It's all about getting a clear picture of the surgical tech salary outlook.
Table of Contents
- What is the average surgical tech salary across the country?
- How does the national surgical tech salary compare?
- Does location affect surgical tech salary?
- What about the surgical tech salary in specific cities?
- Understanding Surgical Tech Salary Ranges
- Different ways to look at surgical tech salary figures
- How experience shapes surgical tech salary
- What top earners see in surgical tech salary
What is the average surgical tech salary across the country?
When we talk about what surgical technologists generally bring home across the United States, it's pretty interesting. The folks who track these things, like the Bureau of Labor Statistics, tell us that, on average, someone in this important medical support role can expect to make about sixty-two thousand, two hundred fifty dollars each year. Or, if you prefer to think about it by the hour, that comes out to around twenty-nine dollars and ninety-three cents for every sixty minutes they spend helping out in the operating room. That, you know, gives us a kind of baseline idea of the typical earnings for these dedicated healthcare professionals.
This information, by the way, comes from figures gathered back in May of 2021, which were put together by the U.S. government's labor department. It’s a good starting point for anyone trying to get a handle on the general financial picture for this kind of job. It basically shows us what a lot of people in this field were seeing as their paychecks at that time. So, it's almost like a snapshot of how things were looking then for the surgical tech salary.
How does the national surgical tech salary compare?
Looking at the national picture for what surgical technologists earn, there's another set of numbers that pops up. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national average for a surgical tech's yearly pay is actually a little bit higher, coming in at sixty-five thousand, eight hundred ten dollars. If you break that down by the hour, it’s about thirty-one dollars and sixty-four cents. This figure, you know, gives us a slightly different take on what people are generally making across the country. It’s just another way to look at the typical surgical tech salary.
It's worth noting that these figures can, in a way, shift a little depending on when the information was gathered and which specific report you're looking at. For example, some data from May 2024, also from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, suggested that surgical techs were making, on average, sixty-two thousand, eight hundred thirty dollars annually. So, you see, the exact average surgical tech salary can vary just a little bit from one report to another, but they all give us a similar general idea.
Does location affect surgical tech salary?
Yes, absolutely, where you live and work plays a pretty big part in what you can expect to earn as a surgical tech. The figures for what someone makes in this job really do change quite a bit from one state to another, and even within different cities in the same state. It's not just a single national number that holds true everywhere, which is something many people tend to forget. This variation in surgical tech salary is a pretty significant point for anyone considering the profession.
We've got information for all fifty of the United States, plus the District of Columbia, that shows these different salary amounts. This means that if you're thinking about moving for a job, or if you're just curious about what people earn in different parts of the country, the place you call home can have a real impact on your paycheck. It’s almost like each state has its own little economy for surgical tech salary.
What about the surgical tech salary in specific cities?
Let's take a closer look at a specific place to really see how much location matters. If you consider Chicago, Illinois, for instance, the financial picture for a surgical technician has some interesting details. As of July 1, 2025, the average yearly pay for someone in this role there is pretty wide-ranging. It goes from about forty-eight thousand, eight hundred dollars for those just starting out or with less experience, up to around sixty-five thousand, one hundred dollars for those who are perhaps more established in their careers. The middle point, or what we call the median annual salary, for a surgical tech in Chicago is fifty-six thousand, three hundred dollars. That, you know, gives you a clear sense of the surgical tech salary spread in that particular urban area.
Now, if we look at things on a weekly basis for Chicago, the numbers are also a bit different. As of June 24, 2025, the average weekly earnings for a surgical tech in that city are about one thousand, nine hundred thirty-nine dollars. That's a pretty good chunk of change each week, you know, for the important work they do. This kind of detail really highlights how specific locations can have their own distinct surgical tech salary patterns.
It's also interesting to see the full breadth of what people might earn in a place like Chicago. While some online job platforms might show weekly pay as high as two thousand, nine hundred eighty-one dollars, they also show figures as low as seven hundred forty-three dollars. However, the majority of surgical technologists in Chicago are earning somewhere in the middle of that very broad range. So, you see, there's quite a bit of variation even within one city's surgical tech salary figures.
Another point about Chicago: the average yearly pay for a surgical technologist there is seventy-four thousand, one hundred twelve dollars, or about thirty-six dollars an hour. Interestingly, that figure is actually one percent lower than the national average. So, even though Chicago is a big city, its average surgical tech salary might not always be higher than the overall country's average.
Understanding Surgical Tech Salary Ranges
When we talk about how much money surgical technologists make, it's really helpful to think about it in terms of ranges, because a single average number doesn't always tell the whole story. For example, some information from 2024 suggests that, across the entire country, surgical technologists generally earn somewhere between sixty-eight thousand dollars and ninety-five thousand dollars each year. That, you know, is a pretty wide span, showing that there's a good deal of difference in what people bring home. It gives you a better idea of the potential for surgical tech salary.
These ranges are important because they account for all sorts of things that influence how much someone gets paid. It's not just about the average, but also about the lower and higher ends of the pay scale. So, if you're looking at what you might earn, knowing these different levels can give you a much clearer picture of the surgical tech salary landscape.
Different ways to look at surgical tech salary figures
It’s also helpful to consider the different ways these earnings are presented. For instance, some reports might talk about weekly pay. In the United States, the typical weekly pay for a surgical technician is about one thousand, eight hundred thirty-three dollars. This particular number comes from a pretty large collection of salaries, over thirty-three thousand of them, gathered from various job postings. That, you know, is a different way to measure the typical surgical tech salary.
Then there are specific types of surgical technologists, like those who are certified. Data from Vivian Health for the week ending April 8, 2023, showed that certified surgical technologists working in staff positions were earning, on average, thirty-six dollars and forty-seven cents per hour. This figure assumes a standard forty-hour work week, so you can pretty easily figure out what that means for a weekly or yearly income. This kind of detail gives us a really specific look at a certain segment of the surgical tech salary market.
How experience shapes surgical tech salary
One of the biggest factors that can really change what a surgical tech earns is how much time they've spent doing the job. It's actually pretty common in many lines of work that the more years you have under your belt, the more you can expect to be paid, and this is certainly true for surgical technologists. Someone who is just starting out, for instance, will likely make less than someone who has been working in operating rooms for a decade or more. This, you know, is a pretty straightforward way that experience influences surgical tech salary.
The skills and knowledge you build up over time, the different types of procedures you've been a part of, and the overall confidence you gain all contribute to your value as a professional. Hospitals and surgical centers are often willing to pay more for individuals who bring a wealth of practical experience to the team. So, as a matter of fact, your income as a surgical tech may vary based on exactly how long you've been honing your craft.
What top earners see in surgical tech salary
It's always interesting to look at what the people at the very top of the pay scale are bringing home. While the source information doesn't give us an exact number for what "top earners" are making, it does mention that they report seeing higher figures. This suggests that there's a significant difference between the average pay and what the most experienced or specialized surgical technologists can command. It’s like, you know, there’s a ceiling that some people manage to break through.
These higher earnings could be due to a few different things. Maybe they work in particular settings, like specialized surgical centers, or they might have advanced certifications or unique skills that are in high demand. It could also simply be that they've accumulated many years of valuable experience, making them highly sought after. So, in some respects, the potential for a really good surgical tech salary is there for those who really excel in their work.
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