How to Become a Surgical Technologist
Keep operating rooms running: prepare sterile fields, pass instruments, and anticipate the surgical team's next move. It typically requires an associate degree, with a median salary of $64,650 per year and faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$64,650/yr
Middle half
$54,690 to $79,750
Job growth
Faster than average
Openings / yr
7,000
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Sterile Technique
- Instrumentation
- Monitoring
- Attention to Detail
- Teamwork
Helpful certifications
- CST (NBSTSA Certified Surgical Technologist)
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
1/100
Work-life balance
69/100
Stress level
65/100
Related careers
- Psychiatrist$281,870 median
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- Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)$236,590 median
- Dentist$170,950 median
- Pharmacist$140,910 median
- Optometrist$136,570 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Surgical Technologist make?
The median pay for a Surgical Technologist is $64,650 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $54,690 and $79,750 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Surgical Technologist?
The usual entry point is an associate degree. Common majors are Surgical Technology and Health Sciences.
Is Surgical Technologist a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 7,000 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Surgical Technologist use most?
Common skills for this role are Sterile Technique, Instrumentation, Monitoring, Attention to Detail, and Teamwork.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).