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Job outlook for surgical technicians in the United States
Surgical technician job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected surgical technician job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 7,700 new jobs for surgical technicians are projected over the next decade.
Surgical technician salaries have increased 10% for surgical technicians in the last 5 years.
There are over 102,187 surgical technicians currently employed in the United States.
There are 70,920 active surgical technician job openings in the US.
The average surgical technician salary is $52,193.
Are surgical technician jobs in demand?
Surgical technician job and salary trends over time
Surgical technician jobs over time
Surgical technician job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 102,187 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 101,309 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | 103,292 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 102,947 | 0.03% |
| 2017 | 99,552 | 0.03% |
Average surgical technician salary over time
Surgical technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $52,193 | $25.09 | +2.9% |
| 2025 | $50,712 | $24.38 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $49,662 | $23.88 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $48,623 | $23.38 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $47,415 | $22.80 | +1.9% |
Surgical technician jobs by state
Most common states for surgical technicians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 739,795 | 134 | 18% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 916 | 13% |
| 3 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 727 | 13% |
| 4 | Vermont | 623,657 | 81 | 13% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 620 | 11% |
| 6 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 404 | 11% |
| 7 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 341 | 11% |
| 8 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 643 | 10% |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 603 | 10% |
| 10 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 586 | 10% |
| 11 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 485 | 10% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 201 | 10% |
| 13 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 71 | 10% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,093 | 9% |
| 15 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 962 | 9% |
| 16 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 779 | 9% |
| 17 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 723 | 9% |
| 18 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 270 | 9% |
| 19 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 260 | 9% |
| 20 | Delaware | 961,939 | 90 | 9% |
Most common cities for surgical technicians
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muskegon | 47 | 123% | $54,731 |
| 2 | Lancaster | 54 | 91% | $41,473 |
| 3 | Grand Rapids | 43 | 22% | $54,762 |
| 4 | Ann Arbor | 18 | 15% | $54,877 |
| 5 | Detroit | 56 | 8% | $54,941 |
| 6 | Boston | 51 | 8% | $55,000 |
| 7 | Orlando | 20 | 7% | $46,300 |
| 8 | Fort Wayne | 18 | 7% | $44,097 |
| 9 | Atlanta | 29 | 6% | $54,206 |
| 10 | Baltimore | 30 | 5% | $54,254 |
| 11 | Tucson | 26 | 5% | $55,864 |
| 12 | Tampa | 19 | 5% | $46,743 |
| 13 | San Diego | 51 | 4% | $67,166 |
| 14 | Indianapolis | 22 | 3% | $43,829 |
| 15 | Phoenix | 32 | 2% | $56,817 |
| 16 | Columbus | 19 | 2% | $44,930 |
| 17 | Los Angeles | 44 | 1% | $68,328 |
| 18 | Houston | 26 | 1% | $51,508 |
| 19 | New York | 41 | 0% | $64,889 |
Surgical Technician job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of surgical technician experts
Shawn Steadman
What Surgical Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Shawn Steadman: The industry or field is growing exponentially. More and more organizations are realizing the value of emergency management and homeland security professionals in aiding their planning and operations. An area experiencing extreme growth is situational awareness and, more specifically, GIS and AI in assisting Command in managing disasters. This influx of technology includes the use of small, uncrewed aviation systems (sUAS) or drones and cyber security. There should be a balance between management skills and technological skills for individuals in the field. This rapid growth and technological advancement present exciting opportunities for learning and career development.