29
Surgical Technologists is a notable career in the 29 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Surgical Technologists against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 29-2055 |
| title | Surgical Technologists |
| onet code | 29-2055.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 3 |
| major group | 29 |
| tot emp | 113,890 |
| a mean | 65,810 |
| a median | 62,830 |
| a pct10 | 43,290 |
| a pct25 | 51,740 |
| a pct75 | 77,140 |
| a pct90 | 90,700 |
| h mean | 31 |
| h median | 30 |
The day-to-day work of a surgical technologists typically centers on maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Monitoring, Active Listening, and Operations Monitoring. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.19 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working surgical technologists, the most common entry qualification is a Associate's Degree (or other 2 (40.6%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 0% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in California at $81,120 and lowest in West Virginia at $47,700 — a 1.7× spread. The top five states (California, Connecticut, Oregon, Alaska, Massachusetts) average $79,692. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $81,120 | $83,240 | $57,070 | $114,390 | 10,570 |
| Connecticut | $80,590 | $77,760 | $48,460 | $102,350 | 1,220 |
| Oregon | $79,410 | $78,460 | $59,510 | $98,520 | 1,190 |
| Alaska | $79,040 | $75,930 | $52,850 | $99,270 | 290 |
| Massachusetts | $78,300 | $77,630 | $48,430 | $105,800 | 2,240 |
| Minnesota | $77,950 | $77,190 | $62,810 | $94,520 | 1,640 |
| Nevada | $76,740 | $74,330 | $46,590 | $99,600 | 1,120 |
| Hawaii | $76,200 | $71,350 | $43,310 | $93,770 | 350 |
| New York | $75,250 | $75,950 | $50,370 | $101,920 | 5,910 |
| Washington | $73,460 | $74,880 | $52,660 | $101,130 | 2,380 |
| New Jersey | $71,370 | $71,270 | $46,200 | $95,860 | 2,720 |
| Rhode Island | $68,280 | $67,360 | $52,730 | $83,890 | 210 |
| Arizona | $67,530 | $69,300 | $50,300 | $86,790 | 2,220 |
| New Hampshire | $67,490 | $67,430 | $49,880 | $82,930 | 400 |
| Maryland | $66,550 | $67,190 | $41,840 | $85,000 | 2,130 |
| Wisconsin | $65,870 | $67,710 | $52,850 | $81,730 | 2,770 |
| Colorado | $65,690 | $67,710 | $46,500 | $84,130 | 2,310 |
| District of Columbia | $65,450 | $69,950 | $40,400 | $101,910 | 270 |
| Virginia | $63,460 | $67,890 | $45,960 | $98,450 | 2,250 |
| Utah | $63,380 | $66,370 | $42,640 | $84,780 | 1,040 |
| Maine | $63,000 | $63,120 | $47,430 | $79,070 | 390 |
| Idaho | $62,930 | $63,630 | $46,580 | $77,650 | 990 |
| Vermont | $62,800 | $63,860 | $49,290 | $81,100 | 70 |
| Nebraska | $62,670 | $63,040 | $47,880 | $79,090 | 680 |
| Texas | $62,640 | $62,940 | $37,520 | $85,660 | 9,870 |
| Illinois | $62,510 | $70,320 | $48,340 | $106,300 | 3,730 |
| Michigan | $62,320 | $61,710 | $41,530 | $78,030 | 3,910 |
| Delaware | $62,230 | $61,160 | $49,190 | $78,820 | 370 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,770 | $64,840 | $47,950 | $78,920 | 4,710 |
| Indiana | $61,610 | $62,610 | $46,970 | $77,390 | 2,610 |
| Florida | $61,030 | $59,840 | $38,200 | $77,800 | 8,620 |
| Georgia | $60,880 | $61,610 | $43,360 | $82,210 | 4,100 |
| South Carolina | $60,780 | $56,900 | $35,270 | $72,640 | 2,480 |
| Montana | $60,610 | $59,240 | $40,200 | $75,570 | 420 |
| Missouri | $60,420 | $63,250 | $45,150 | $81,540 | 2,060 |
| Ohio | $60,360 | $61,600 | $46,380 | $78,250 | 3,800 |
| North Dakota | $59,990 | $58,600 | $48,110 | $66,220 | 270 |
| North Carolina | $58,710 | $58,670 | $45,740 | $74,060 | 3,720 |
| Kansas | $57,580 | $57,120 | $40,980 | $73,140 | 1,230 |
| Oklahoma | $57,310 | $57,050 | $43,280 | $70,450 | 1,940 |
| Tennessee | $56,370 | $58,170 | $47,060 | $73,110 | 2,470 |
| Wyoming | $54,610 | $57,890 | $43,360 | $79,700 | 180 |
| Iowa | $53,920 | $54,950 | $41,880 | $65,240 | 730 |
| Arkansas | $53,400 | $55,840 | $38,790 | $71,850 | 1,490 |
| New Mexico | $52,780 | $56,720 | $40,380 | $74,150 | 590 |
| South Dakota | $52,400 | $53,430 | $36,980 | $67,680 | 580 |
| Kentucky | $52,240 | $53,280 | $38,260 | $70,140 | 1,900 |
| Louisiana | $51,930 | $53,990 | $35,260 | $65,570 | 2,040 |
| Alabama | $48,920 | $49,440 | $33,940 | $65,400 | 2,610 |
| Mississippi | $48,020 | $50,560 | $37,960 | $63,980 | 1,200 |
| West Virginia | $47,700 | $49,560 | $37,340 | $66,510 | 720 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for surgical technologists. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Certified Surgical Technician or Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Surgical Technologists compares to others in the 29 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Surgical Technologists
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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