Surgical Technologists
Surgical Technologists earn an average annual salary of $85,502, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Hospitals and General Medical and Surgical Hospitals. The field combines competitive compensation with strong employment opportunities, making it an attractive career path.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Surgical Technologists workforce.
Employment Over Time
10,570 Workforce in 2023
The Surgical Technologists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Surgical Technologists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$85,502 Average Wage
In 2023, Surgical Technologists earned an average of $85,502.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Surgical Technologists.
Salary distribution for Surgical Technologists.
Employment Growth Projections
1.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
43,875 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 5.6%
46,320 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 11.5%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.1% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Surgical Technologists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Surgical Technologists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Surgical Technologists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Surgical Technologists.
Wage Trends by Industry
6.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Surgical Technologists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Surgical Technologists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 9,900 employees, $85,884 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Surgical Technologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 2,550 employees, $81,405 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 1,120 employees, $75,826 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 960 employees, $83,397 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 940 employees, $80,731 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 750 employees, $98,531 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 670 employees, $105,727 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 600 employees, $93,637 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 450 employees, $101,668 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 350 employees, $75,970 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 250 employees, $76,936 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Surgical Technologists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Surgical Technologists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Surgical Technologists in 2023 was 10,570 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Surgical Technologists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Surgical Technologists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Surgical Technologists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Surgical Technologists in 2023 were Business Administration, Health Sciences, Business.
Common majors for Surgical Technologists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Surgical Technologists workers.
Education level distribution for Surgical Technologists.
Skills
Surgical Technologists need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Active Listening, Operations Monitoring, Time Management, Coordination.
Required skills for Surgical Technologists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Surgical Technologists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Surgical Technologists include Customer and Personal Service, Medicine and Dentistry, English Language, Education and Training, Psychology.
Knowledge areas required for Surgical Technologists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Surgical Technologists include Oral Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Near Vision, Speech Recognition, Arm-Hand Steadiness.
Required abilities for Surgical Technologists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Surgical Technologists.
Daily Activities
Surgical Technologists spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.
Most important work activities for Surgical Technologists.
About
Surgical Technologists
The average yearly wage for Surgical Technologists was $85,502 in 2023.
SOC Code
29-2055 - Surgical Technologists
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Surgical Technologists reports an average salary of $85,502.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 10,570 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.