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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

29-2055 Surgical Technologists

Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeons’ assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments. Excludes “Surgical Assistants” (29-9093).


National estimates for Surgical Technologists
Industry profile for Surgical Technologists
Geographic profile for Surgical Technologists

National estimates for Surgical Technologists:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Surgical Technologists:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
109,060 1.1 % $ 25.77 $ 53,590 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Surgical Technologists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 17.76 $ 22.33 $ 23.33 $ 29.22 $ 36.51
Annual Wage (2) $ 36,930 $ 46,440 $ 48,530 $ 60,780 $ 75,940


Industry profile for Surgical Technologists:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Surgical Technologists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Surgical Technologists, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Surgical Technologists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 77,450 1.38 $ 25.63 $ 53,300
Offices of Physicians 12,350 0.46 $ 26.12 $ 54,340
Outpatient Care Centers 12,080 1.22 $ 26.77 $ 55,680
Offices of Dentists 1,830 0.19 $ 23.41 $ 48,700
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 1,530 0.57 $ 28.45 $ 59,180

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Surgical Technologists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 77,450 1.38 $ 25.63 $ 53,300
Outpatient Care Centers 12,080 1.22 $ 26.77 $ 55,680
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 1,530 0.57 $ 28.45 $ 59,180
Offices of Physicians 12,350 0.46 $ 26.12 $ 54,340
Offices of Dentists 1,830 0.19 $ 23.41 $ 48,700

Top paying industries for Surgical Technologists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 1,530 0.57 $ 28.45 $ 59,180
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 570 0.02 $ 27.95 $ 58,130
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 360 0.12 $ 27.43 $ 57,040
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 320 0.03 $ 27.21 $ 56,600
Outpatient Care Centers 12,080 1.22 $ 26.77 $ 55,680


Geographic profile for Surgical Technologists:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Surgical Technologists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Surgical Technologists, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of surgical technologists by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Surgical Technologists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 11,390 0.69 0.89 $ 32.89 $ 68,410
Texas 10,820 0.89 1.14 $ 25.46 $ 52,950
Florida 7,370 0.86 1.11 $ 23.10 $ 48,050
New York 5,720 0.66 0.85 $ 29.02 $ 60,350
Michigan 4,130 1.02 1.31 $ 23.10 $ 48,050


Map of location quotient of surgical technologists by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Surgical Technologists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Dakota 590 1.41 1.82 $ 21.68 $ 45,100
Kentucky 2,370 1.29 1.67 $ 22.60 $ 47,000
Louisiana 2,210 1.23 1.59 $ 20.79 $ 43,240
South Carolina 2,470 1.19 1.54 $ 22.30 $ 46,390
Alabama 2,220 1.15 1.49 $ 19.50 $ 40,550


Map of annual mean wages of surgical technologists by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Surgical Technologists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 11,390 0.69 0.89 $ 32.89 $ 68,410
Alaska 230 0.77 0.99 $ 31.58 $ 65,690
District of Columbia 270 0.41 0.53 $ 31.37 $ 65,250
Connecticut 1,270 0.80 1.04 $ 31.34 $ 65,190
Nevada 1,110 0.86 1.11 $ 31.34 $ 65,180



Map of employment of surgical technologists by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Surgical Technologists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 5,830 0.67 0.87 $ 30.07 $ 62,540
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,510 0.79 1.02 $ 32.22 $ 67,020
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 3,190 0.89 1.15 $ 26.33 $ 54,760
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,920 1.01 1.30 $ 27.57 $ 57,340
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,650 0.63 0.81 $ 25.72 $ 53,490
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,930 0.91 1.18 $ 27.38 $ 56,950
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,860 0.76 0.98 $ 23.85 $ 49,600
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,850 0.70 0.90 $ 25.96 $ 53,990
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,810 1.00 1.29 $ 23.52 $ 48,920
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,530 0.59 0.76 $ 26.63 $ 55,380


Map of location quotient of surgical technologists by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Surgical Technologists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rochester, MN 490 4.26 5.50 $ 29.87 $ 62,120
Florence, SC 200 2.38 3.08 $ 21.07 $ 43,820
Owensboro, KY 110 2.16 2.79 $ 22.67 $ 47,150
Idaho Falls, ID 150 2.13 2.76 $ 23.52 $ 48,910
Sioux Falls, SD 300 1.91 2.47 $ 21.57 $ 44,860
Hattiesburg, MS 120 1.89 2.45 $ 18.67 $ 38,840
Rapid City, SD 120 1.81 2.34 $ 22.06 $ 45,890
Lubbock, TX 260 1.80 2.32 $ 25.68 $ 53,410
Billings, MT 150 1.77 2.29 $ 22.53 $ 46,870
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 570 1.77 2.28 $ 21.40 $ 44,510