Surgical Technologist Salary by State
Pay varies widely across the US. Alaska leads with a mean of $82,640 while Mississippi sits at the bottom at $47,360. The table below includes annual salary, hourly rate, estimated employment, and a cost-of-living adjusted figure to give a truer picture of purchasing power. Click any column header to sort.
| State ↕ | Annual Salary ↓ | Hourly Rate ↕ | Employment ↕ | COL-Adjusted ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AKAlaska | $82,640 | $39.73 | 480 | $64,563 |
| DCDistrict of Columbia | $79,800 | $38.37 | 310 | $50,828 |
| CACalifornia | $78,340 | $37.66 | 14,200 | $56,360 |
| NVNevada | $74,690 | $35.91 | 1,880 | $69,804 |
| MNMinnesota | $73,820 | $35.49 | 3,140 | $70,305 |
| WAWashington | $72,190 | $34.71 | 3,980 | $59,172 |
| MAMassachusetts | $71,460 | $34.36 | 3,780 | $54,969 |
| NYNew York | $70,240 | $33.77 | 9,850 | $50,532 |
| NJNew Jersey | $68,910 | $33.13 | 4,270 | $56,484 |
| HIHawaii | $67,980 | $32.68 | 650 | $36,946 |
| OROregon | $66,920 | $32.17 | 2,140 | $57,690 |
| CTConnecticut | $66,430 | $31.94 | 1,880 | $55,824 |
| COColorado | $65,710 | $31.59 | 3,020 | $58,150 |
| RIRhode Island | $65,120 | $31.31 | 590 | $55,186 |
| MDMaryland | $64,780 | $31.15 | 3,290 | $53,983 |
| NHNew Hampshire | $63,280 | $30.42 | 770 | $55,026 |
| ILIllinois | $62,850 | $30.22 | 5,780 | $62,228 |
| AZArizona | $62,480 | $30.04 | 3,280 | $60,660 |
| VAVirginia | $60,740 | $29.20 | 4,450 | $55,218 |
| TXTexas | $60,380 | $29.03 | 14,360 | $63,558 |
| PAPennsylvania | $59,430 | $28.57 | 7,120 | $60,030 |
| UTUtah | $58,670 | $28.21 | 1,820 | $57,520 |
| WIWisconsin | $58,430 | $28.09 | 2,890 | $60,865 |
| VTVermont | $58,230 | $27.99 | 310 | $50,635 |
| NDNorth Dakota | $58,140 | $27.95 | 380 | $58,727 |
| MIMichigan | $57,910 | $27.84 | 4,620 | $63,637 |
| DEDelaware | $57,690 | $27.74 | 620 | $56,559 |
| NMNew Mexico | $57,480 | $27.63 | 890 | $63,165 |
| MEMaine | $57,310 | $27.55 | 670 | $52,100 |
| GAGeorgia | $57,240 | $27.52 | 5,340 | $60,253 |
| NENebraska | $56,140 | $26.99 | 1,130 | $61,692 |
| FLFlorida | $56,130 | $26.99 | 10,420 | $55,574 |
| WYWyoming | $55,710 | $26.78 | 290 | $58,031 |
| NCNorth Carolina | $55,690 | $26.77 | 5,110 | $58,010 |
| OHOhio | $55,610 | $26.74 | 6,290 | $61,789 |
| IDIdaho | $54,960 | $26.42 | 810 | $56,082 |
| MTMontana | $54,830 | $26.36 | 510 | $54,287 |
| INIndiana | $54,030 | $25.98 | 3,210 | $60,033 |
| MOMissouri | $53,670 | $25.80 | 3,300 | $59,633 |
| KSKansas | $53,400 | $25.67 | 1,540 | $60,000 |
| IAIowa | $52,870 | $25.42 | 1,660 | $58,744 |
| TNTennessee | $52,810 | $25.39 | 3,540 | $58,033 |
| LALouisiana | $52,610 | $25.29 | 2,230 | $57,813 |
| SCSouth Carolina | $52,440 | $25.21 | 2,280 | $55,200 |
| OKOklahoma | $51,280 | $24.65 | 1,890 | $58,943 |
| SDSouth Dakota | $50,970 | $24.51 | 440 | $54,223 |
| KYKentucky | $50,840 | $24.44 | 2,280 | $57,773 |
| ALAlabama | $50,310 | $24.19 | 2,390 | $56,528 |
| ARArkansas | $48,920 | $23.52 | 1,370 | $56,230 |
| WVWest Virginia | $47,820 | $22.99 | 790 | $56,929 |
| MSMississippi | $47,360 | $22.77 | 1,190 | $56,381 |
COL-Adjusted salary normalises pay to US average cost of living (index = 100). Source: BLS OES 2024. Employment figures are approximate. Salaries highlighted in green are above the national average ($60,610).
Why State Matters So Much for Surgical Tech Pay
The gap between the highest and lowest paying states for surgical technologists is over $35,000 per year. Much of this gap reflects differences in regional cost of living, union density, state healthcare funding levels, and local supply and demand for scrub techs.
States with high concentrations of Level I trauma centers and large academic medical systems tend to pay more. Alaska and Hawaii pay a premium partly due to geographic isolation and difficulty recruiting clinical staff. California salaries are elevated by strong union presence in many healthcare systems and a high overall wage floor.
The cost-of-living adjusted column shows what your salary buys relative to the US average (indexed at 100). A surgical tech earning $82,640 in Alaska faces living costs roughly 28% above the national average, bringing adjusted purchasing power down to around $64,563. By contrast, a tech earning $73,820 in Minnesota faces costs only 5% above average, making Minnesota one of the best-value high-pay states.
Nevada and Washington also offer attractive COL-adjusted salaries, combining above- average nominal pay with living costs that are moderate relative to their wage levels.