Typical entry: Postsecondary nondegree award
Surgical technologist
Surgical technologists prepare operating rooms, pass instruments during surgery, and maintain the sterile field. They work in hospitals and outpatient surgery centers, usually on scheduled shifts with on-call rotations.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a surgical technologist makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$64,650
$31.08 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $54,690
- 75th percentile
- $79,750
- 90th percentile
- $96,940
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- Not published
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +5.0%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 7,100
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as typical: an accredited certificate or associate's program of 9 to 24 months with clinical rotations, then the CST exam. Sterile processing is the usual bridge job while in school.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.
The next step
Accredited surgical technology program and the CST exam
- Typical cost
- $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the school
- Time to complete
- 9 to 24 months
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for surgical technologists by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $39.73 | $82,640 | $59,810 to $88,160 | 290 |
| Oregon | $39.13 | $81,390 | $73,190 to $94,640 | 1,090 |
| California | $39.09 | $81,310 | $64,380 to $99,260 | 11,920 |
| Massachusetts | $38.88 | $80,870 | $68,830 to $98,300 | 2,220 |
| Alaska | $38.65 | $80,380 | $63,480 to $93,470 | 310 |
| Minnesota | $38.56 | $80,210 | $72,730 to $86,420 | 1,770 |
| Connecticut | $38.41 | $79,890 | $59,120 to $95,050 | 1,220 |
| New York | $38.25 | $79,550 | $64,390 to $98,140 | 6,540 |
| District of Columbia | $37.27 | $77,520 | $49,260 to $83,780 | 340 |
| Washington | $37.15 | $77,270 | $62,330 to $90,620 | 2,510 |
| New Jersey | $37.12 | $77,200 | $64,440 to $85,700 | 2,780 |
| Colorado | $36.41 | $75,740 | $62,930 to $83,000 | 2,100 |
| Nevada | $36.29 | $75,480 | $59,730 to $84,930 | 1,110 |
| New Hampshire | $36.08 | $75,040 | $65,280 to $81,570 | 370 |
| Rhode Island | $35.64 | $74,130 | $63,800 to $81,520 | 240 |
| Wisconsin | $35.64 | $74,120 | $63,030 to $79,010 | 2,180 |
| Idaho | $34.88 | $72,550 | $61,490 to $77,640 | 1,100 |
| Arizona | $34.74 | $72,260 | $62,620 to $83,550 | 2,410 |
| Maryland | $33.16 | $68,970 | $60,310 to $81,390 | 1,880 |
| Virginia | $32.49 | $67,580 | $59,110 to $84,100 | 1,910 |
| Texas | $31.35 | $65,220 | $50,100 to $80,790 | 10,160 |
| Illinois | $31.08 | $64,650 | $60,160 to $77,670 | 3,570 |
| Indiana | $30.89 | $64,240 | $60,240 to $77,210 | 2,680 |
| Georgia | $30.77 | $64,010 | $50,480 to $78,410 | 4,380 |
| Nebraska | $30.71 | $63,880 | $57,700 to $68,840 | 770 |
| Michigan | $30.44 | $63,320 | $51,890 to $76,470 | 3,840 |
| Maine | $30.22 | $62,860 | $56,240 to $75,270 | 470 |
| Utah | $30.15 | $62,720 | $49,200 to $76,950 | 1,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $30.14 | $62,680 | $52,060 to $72,020 | 4,490 |
| Florida | $30.02 | $62,440 | $52,410 to $75,170 | 9,120 |
| Ohio | $30.01 | $62,420 | $55,380 to $73,790 | 3,730 |
| Delaware | $29.93 | $62,250 | $54,540 to $74,030 | 340 |
| South Carolina | $29.89 | $62,160 | $52,140 to $67,080 | 2,680 |
| North Dakota | $29.63 | $61,640 | $52,950 to $62,730 | 370 |
| Oklahoma | $29.42 | $61,190 | $52,720 to $65,120 | 1,940 |
| Missouri | $29.39 | $61,120 | $50,690 to $68,410 | 2,100 |
| Montana | $29.31 | $60,970 | $49,170 to $70,580 | 490 |
| North Carolina | $29.29 | $60,920 | $51,540 to $68,520 | 4,400 |
| Vermont | $29.17 | $60,660 | $51,040 to $72,270 | 140 |
| Kansas | $29.13 | $60,600 | $49,010 to $67,570 | 1,200 |
| Iowa | $29.11 | $60,540 | $50,680 to $62,880 | 950 |
| Tennessee | $29.10 | $60,530 | $51,310 to $64,430 | 3,310 |
| Kentucky | $29.08 | $60,490 | $50,300 to $66,630 | 1,440 |
| South Dakota | $28.79 | $59,870 | $51,720 to $63,900 | 600 |
| Wyoming | $28.29 | $58,850 | $50,300 to $64,980 | 210 |
| Arkansas | $27.60 | $57,400 | $47,520 to $63,400 | 1,640 |
| Louisiana | $27.58 | $57,370 | $47,410 to $62,790 | 2,230 |
| New Mexico | $24.90 | $51,780 | $47,500 to $64,800 | 540 |
| Mississippi | $23.95 | $49,810 | $47,120 to $59,590 | 1,110 |
| Alabama | $23.76 | $49,420 | $39,270 to $59,990 | 2,480 |
| West Virginia | $23.61 | $49,110 | $39,520 to $61,610 | 580 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a surgical technologist?
No. BLS lists "postsecondary nondegree award" as the typical education for entry. The usual credential is accredited surgical technology program and the CST exam.
How much does a surgical technologist make?
The median pay was $64,650 a year ($31.08 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $54,690 and $79,750, and the top 10 percent earned more than $96,940.
How long does it take to become a surgical technologist?
9 to 24 months. The typical cost is $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the school.
Is surgical technologist work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035 with about 7,100 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 29-2055.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile