Surgical technician salaries across each U.S. state: A data-based comparison

Surgical technician salaries across each U.S. state show a wide geographic spread in published wage estimates. The figures below distinguish annual mean wages from median pay, account for the limits of state-level averages, and place compensation in the context of certification, experience, employer setting, and cost of living.

How the state salary data should be read

The most complete state list supplied for this comparison uses approximate May 2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates for surgical technologists under SOC 29-2055. These are annual mean wages, meaning averages across employed workers, rather than guaranteed starting salaries or individual take-home pay. 2

A newer May 2025 BLS-based table published in May 2026 reports annual and hourly means for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, while also presenting cost-of-living-adjusted hourly figures. For example, it lists Massachusetts at $83,820 annually and $40.30 hourly, California at $82,810 and $39.81, and Alabama at $50,680 and $24.36. 1

Annual mean salary by state

The following table compiles the available approximate May 2023 annual mean wages for every state supplied in the research data. The District of Columbia is shown separately using the newer May 2025 figure because a 2023 DC value was not included in the provided state list. 2

Highest and lowest reported markets

In the approximate May 2023 estimates, New York led the listed states at $78,100, followed by New Jersey at $75,030, Washington at $75,720, California at $75,360, and Connecticut at $74,430. Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Alaska, and Minnesota also appeared toward the upper end of the reported distribution. 2

The lower end included Arkansas at $48,970, Alabama at $49,500, Mississippi at $50,980, West Virginia at $52,750, and Louisiana at $53,450. The gap between these figures and the highest reported state values demonstrates why national averages can obscure meaningful geographic differences. 2

Why nominal wages do not tell the whole story

Cost of living can substantially change the practical meaning of an hourly wage. In the 2025 comparison, Hawaii had a $35.48 nominal hourly mean but a $19.18 cost-of-living-adjusted figure, while Illinois had a $33.69 nominal hourly mean and a $35.58 adjusted figure. The adjustment uses a 2025 cost-of-living index and is a comparison tool, not an employee paycheck calculation. 1

Several states also illustrate the difference between nominal ranking and purchasing-power ranking. Massachusetts reported the highest unadjusted hourly mean in the 2025 table at $40.30, while Minnesota ranked highest after cost-of-living adjustment according to the published analysis. California's $39.81 hourly mean was reduced to $27.98 after adjustment because its listed cost-of-living index was 142.3. 1

Credentials, duties, and workplace factors

Surgical technologists prepare operating rooms, arrange instruments and equipment, maintain sterile conditions, assist with surgical procedures, and help count sponges, needles, and supplies. The occupation typically requires a postsecondary certificate or associate degree, and employers may prefer or require professional certification. 3

Compensation can vary within the same state according to experience, certification status, hospital type, specialty, local demand, overtime, on-call responsibilities, and shift premiums. Employer-reported benchmarks also identify location and experience as important variables, while specialized CVOR or neuro work and travel assignments can occupy higher pay tiers than general staff positions. 4

Employment outlook and compensation limitations

State wage averages should not be treated as employment guarantees. A published 2026 salary guide describes certified staff pay at approximately $29 to $36 per hour, specialized CVOR or neuro pay at $38 to $48, and standard travel assignments at $45 to $55, but these are category ranges rather than universal rates. 5

Market friction includes credential verification, state-specific employment requirements, uneven demand, variable hospital budgets, call obligations, and the possibility that travel compensation combines taxable wages with other contract components. Career information sources emphasize that state and local labor-market conditions should be reviewed alongside wage data rather than relying on one statewide average. 6

Practical interpretation for career comparisons

For a meaningful comparison, readers should identify whether a figure is a mean or median, confirm the data year, distinguish hourly wages from annualized estimates, and account for full-time hours, overtime, benefits, and unpaid or on-call obligations. The 2025 Alaska profile, for example, reports a $79,670 mean salary and an $80,380 median, illustrating why those two measures should not be treated as interchangeable. 1

The most defensible conclusion is that state location matters, but it is only one component of surgical technician compensation. Certification, perioperative experience, surgical specialty, facility type, workforce demand, and living costs can alter the financial outcome substantially, so published state figures are best used as historical benchmarks for comparison rather than promises of individual earnings. 3

Sources

1. Becker’s ASC, “Surgical tech pay by state, adjusted for cost of living,” https://www.beckersasc.com/asc-news/surgical-tech-pay-by-state-adjusted-for-cost-of-living-2026/
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state-data resource, https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oessrcst.htm
3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Surgical Technologists occupational profile, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/surgical-technologists.htm
4. CareerOneStop, Surgical Technologists occupation profile, https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Careers/Occupations/occupation-profile.aspx?keyword=Surgical%20Technologists&onetcode=29205500&location=US&lang=en
5. CertOutlook, Surgical Technologist certification and career guide, https://certoutlook.com/surgical-tech/
6. Projections Central, Surgical Technologists occupation data, https://projectionscentral.org/occupation/292055