As of May 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were about 109,000 surgical technologists employed in the United States. Surgical technologists are employed primarily in hospital settings, but smaller numbers can be found employed in outpatient care centers, physician offices, and dentist offices. While most surgical technologist jobs require post-secondary education and certain technical skills, the wage scale for surgical technologists is marginally lower than it is for workers in most occupations. In fact, according to BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for surgical technologists was $53,590 per annum. Surgical technologist pay varies considerably from region to region. May 2021 data from the BLS tells us the following about surgical technologist pay in the top 20 metropolitan areas in the United States:
Surgical Technologist Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Areas
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Mean Annual Wage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City | 5,830 | $62,540 | ||
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 4,510 | $67,020 | ||
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 2,650 | $53,490 | ||
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 3,190 | $54,760 | ||
| 5 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 2,920 | $57,340 | ||
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | 1,150 | $63,270 | ||
| 7 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | 1,850 | $53,990 | ||
| 8 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach | 1,860 | $49,600 | ||
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta | 1,530 | $55,380 | ||
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton | 1,460 | $62,560 | ||
| 11 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | 1,930 | $56,950 | ||
| 12 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley | 1,460 | $80,170 | ||
| 13 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 880 | $58,240 | ||
| 14 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | 1,810 | $48,920 | ||
| 15 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | 1,160 | $65,040 | ||
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | 1,270 | $64,540 | ||
| 17 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 670 | $68,010 | ||
| 18 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | 1,110 | $49,010 | ||
| 19 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood | 830 | $61,660 | ||
| 20 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | 1,310 | $52,990 | ||
| National | 109,060 | $53,590 | |||
Report Period: May 2021
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on October 22, 2022