As of May 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 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 a 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 2019 the national mean wage for surgical technologists was $50,110 per year, slightly less than the $53,490 annual mean wage for workers in all occupations. Surgical technologist pay varies considerably from region-to-region. May 2019 data from the BLS tells us the following about surgical technologist pay in the top 20 metropolitan areas in the United States:
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City | 5,760 | $59,620 | ||
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 3,340 | $59,110 | ||
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 2,850 | $51,370 | ||
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 2,300 | $51,310 | ||
| 5 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 2,850 | $53,560 | ||
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | 1,340 | $60,220 | ||
| 7 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach | 2,260 | $46,150 | ||
| 8 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | 1,810 | $47,470 | ||
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta | 2,490 | $49,560 | ||
| 10 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | 1,550 | $52,990 | ||
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton | 1,700 | $58,470 | ||
| 12 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley | 1,170 | $72,790 | ||
| 13 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 920 | $57,510 | ||
| 14 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | 1,930 | $44,650 | ||
| 15 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | 1,210 | $61,240 | ||
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | 1,250 | $62,470 | ||
| 17 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 660 | $62,840 | ||
| 18 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | 1,060 | $45,230 | ||
| 19 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood | 970 | $54,250 | ||
| 20 | St. Louis | 760 | $44,570 | ||
| National | 109,000 | $50,110 | |||
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on January 6, 2021