Surgeon Technologist Salary
- In May 2009 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics collated wage data supplied by some 91,250 individuals working as surgical technologists across the nation. It concluded that the mean yearly salary for the occupation was $40,710, which comes to $3,393 a month or $19.57 per hour. The top ten percent of earners received an average of $55,620 while the lowest ten percent earned $27,910. In all cases, a surgical technologist may receive additional benefits in addition to her basic salary, such as pension provision and health insurance.
- General medical and surgical hospitals employ the greatest number of surgical technologists out of any sector of the health-care industry, but their wage levels--$40,330--lag behind several other employer types. The offices of other health practitioners were listed at $56,220; speciality hospitals offered $43,560 and other ambulatory health care services offered average wages of $43,300. The offices of physicians and outpatient care centers offered similar pay levels, both above that offered by general hospitals at $41,260 and $41,320 respectively.
- As of 2009, according to the BLS, Maryland and Nevada had the highest average levels of pay at $48,820 and $48,440 respectively. South Dakota and Tennessee offered similar wage levels at $36,280 and $37,400, while Alabama offered an annual salary of $32,940.
- Within states, different metropolitan areas can offer significantly different salaries. In California, for instance, the San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara area offers $57,730; the Santa Rosa, Petaluma area is listed at $54,260 and San Fransisco offers an average wage of $52,600. Tyler, Texas and Florence, South Carolina offer comparable levels of pay at $34,660 and $34,710; as do Owensboro, Kenticky and Hattiesburg, Mississippi at $31,470 and $31,370, respectively.
- The employment outlook for surgical technologists appears to be very good. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts job market growth for the occupation at 25 percent for the decade between 2008 and 2018. Given that the national rate across all jobs is not expected to increase by more than thirteen percent, this represents a situation of plentiful opportunity for surgical technologists. Those who are certified by the Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist--a voluntary certification for those who have completed a training course approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs--should secure the best pay rates.