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The salary of a surgical tech depends on several factors, including:
The top 10% of surgical techs earn over $68,000 per year, while entry-level and uncertified techs may earn around $27,000. Certified technologists can expect to earn more.
Location has the largest impact on surgical tech salary. Currently Alaska, Illinois, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia offer the highest average annual salaries for surgical technologists. Alaska’s average surgical tech salary is around $63,000. The lowest paying states are Mississippi and West Virginia, which trend around $35,000. However, the cost of living is another factor to consider when comparing surgical tech salary ranges by location.
Here are some basic national salary and hourly wage figures for surgical technicians in the US, based on 2012 data:
Lowest Pay | Median Pay | Highest Pay | Average Pay | |
Hourly Wage | $13.14 | $20.98 | $33.17 | $22.03 |
Annual Salary | $27,330 | $43,640 | $68,990 | $45,830 |
Here are the highest-paying US states for surgical technician salaries, including lowest, median, highest, and average pay. Figures are based on 2012 data.
State | Lowest Salary | Median Salary | Highest Salary | Average Salary |
Alaska | $42,470 | $58,510 | $102,500 | $63,370 |
DC | $42,520 | $59,550 | $73,360 | $58,650 |
Illinois | $32,850 | $56,000 | $88,430 | $57,630 |
Massachusetts | $35,020 | $56,290 | $75,760 | $56,190 |
Connecticut | $35,800 | $54,310 | $75,670 | $54,590 |
Rhode Island | $40,000 | $52,990 | $75,020 | $54,250 |
New Jersey | $34,160 | $53,420 | $75,260 | $54,030 |
California | $31,550 | $50,690 | $76,320 | $52,220 |
New York | $28,460 | $50,530 | $75,260 | $51,890 |
Washington | $32,010 | $49,330 | $75,250 | $51,340 |
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The highest-paying cities for surgical tech salaries are listed below, also including lowest, median, highest and average salaries for surgical technicians.
City | Lowest Salary | Median Salary | Highest Salary | Average Salary |
Springfield, IL | $34,400 | $64,020 | $91,740 | $64,850 |
Chicago, IL | $34,780 | $57,490 | $90,400 | $60,600 |
Detroit, MI | $37,290 | $57,010 | $84,030 | $59,950 |
Boston, MA | $37,720 | $58,970 | $76,480 | $58,980 |
Seattle, WA | $37,590 | $57,170 | $85,430 | $58,300 |
Newark, NJ | $35,380 | $57,620 | $80,370 | $57,830 |
Anchorage, AK | $44,390 | $57,290 | $70,860 | $56,680 |
Gary, IN | $35,180 | $54,070 | $87,020 | $56,660 |
New York, NY | $27,960 | $57,760 | $81,190 | $56,220 |
Ann Arbor, MI | $31,170 | $62,570 | $73,750 | $55,680 |
See more cities… |
Besides location, the industry a surgical technician works in can have an effect on his or her salary. Currently, the most highly paid surgical technologists work in education, with state-owned institutions paying nearly $74,000 per year to the highest-paid technicians. The average salary for those industries is around $50,000, however.
The industry paying the highest average surgical tech salary is Social Assistance, paying an average of around $54,000 per year. These are surgical technicians who are reimbursed by social security.
The lowest average salaries for surgical techs, around $35,000 per year, are in company management, where enterprises owned by surgical technologists are primarily small businesses and start-ups. Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals also pay lower average salaries at around $37,000, as there is generally low demand for surgical services in psychiatric facilities.
Figures based on 2012 data courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Employment & Wages database.
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