Best degree programs for Surgical Technologists, ranked by enrollment
3 college programs and 495 schools train Surgical Technologists. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $64,650 median wage, 117,460 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
3 college programs at 495 schools train surgical technologists, graduating 11,169 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Surgical Technology/Technologist. The job pays a median of $64,650 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About surgical technologists
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.
A surgical technologist is an allied health professional working as a part of the team delivering surgical care. Surgical technologists are members of the surgical team, which include the surgeon, surgeon's assistant, scrub nurse, circulating nurse and anesthesia provider. They possess knowledge and skills in sterile and aseptic techniques. There are few mandatory professional requirements for surgical technologists, and the scope of practice varies widely across countries and jurisdictions. Surgical technologists attend junior colleges and technical schools, and many are trained in military schools. In the military they perform the duties of both the circulator and the scrub. The goal is for surgical technologists to be able to anticipate the next move the surgeon is going to make in order to make the procedure as smooth and efficient as possible. They do this by having knowledge of hundreds of surgical procedures and the steps the surgeon needs to take in order to complete the procedure, including the very wide range of surgical instruments they may need. Specialties can include, but are not limited to, the following: genitourinary, obstetrics and gynaecology, urology, ENT, plastics, general, orthopedics, neurology, and cardiovascular. They only work in surgical or perioperative areas and are highly specialized. Surgical technologist is the proper term for a two-year program which earns a degree in applied sciences. The profession is up and coming and highly in demand.
Read more on Wikipedia →Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
3 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 51.0909 | 8,514 | 76.2% | 460 | $53,520 | $20,250 |
| 2 | CIP 51.1012 | 2,477 | 22.2% | 105 | $49,401 | $19,848 |
| 3 | CIP 51.0811 | 178 | 1.6% | 13 | $29,507 | $11,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What surgical technologists earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $81,310 | 11,920 | 0.87× | 30 | 1,111 |
| Texas | $65,220 | 10,160 | 0.96× | 38 | 1,018 |
| Florida | $62,440 | 9,120 | 1.22× | 37 | 985 |
| Tennessee | $60,530 | 3,310 | 1.34× | 19 | 924 |
| Illinois | $64,650 | 3,570 | 0.78× | 19 | 488 |
| Michigan | $63,320 | 3,840 | 1.15× | 21 | 464 |
| Wisconsin | $74,120 | 2,180 | 0.98× | 15 | 423 |
| Arizona | $72,260 | 2,410 | 0.98× | 10 | 376 |
| New York | $79,550 | 6,540 | 0.89× | 14 | 357 |
| Ohio | $62,420 | 3,730 | 0.89× | 23 | 339 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,680 | 4,490 | 0.98× | 19 | 336 |
| Georgia | $64,010 | 4,380 | 1.19× | 15 | 301 |
| Minnesota | $80,210 | 1,770 | 0.80× | 10 | 234 |
| Louisiana | $57,370 | 2,230 | 1.53× | 11 | 230 |
| North Carolina | $60,920 | 4,400 | 1.18× | 23 | 230 |
| Colorado | $75,740 | 2,100 | 0.97× | 8 | 227 |
| Kentucky | $60,490 | 1,440 | 0.96× | 11 | 212 |
| South Carolina | $62,160 | 2,680 | 1.54× | 15 | 207 |
| Oklahoma | $61,190 | 1,940 | 1.51× | 12 | 197 |
| Mississippi | $49,810 | 1,110 | 1.26× | 9 | 189 |
| Missouri | $61,120 | 2,100 | 0.95× | 12 | 179 |
| Washington | $77,270 | 2,510 | 0.94× | 8 | 177 |
| Indianamoderate | $64,240 | 2,680 | 1.11× | 4 | 173 |
| New Jersey | $77,200 | 2,780 | 0.86× | 6 | 172 |
| Utah | $62,720 | 1,170 | 0.89× | 8 | 167 |
| Massachusetts | $80,870 | 2,220 | 0.81× | 7 | 161 |
| Virginia | $67,580 | 1,910 | 0.62× | 10 | 128 |
| Arkansas | $57,400 | 1,640 | 1.66× | 9 | 121 |
| Alabama | $49,420 | 2,480 | 1.56× | 7 | 120 |
| New Mexicomoderate | $51,780 | 540 | 0.83× | 3 | 98 |
| Idahomoderate | $72,550 | 1,100 | 1.70× | 4 | 85 |
| Nevadamoderate | $75,480 | 1,110 | 0.94× | 3 | 82 |
| Kansas | $60,600 | 1,200 | 1.10× | 6 | 70 |
| Maryland | $68,970 | 1,880 | 0.90× | 7 | 67 |
| Oregonmoderate | $81,390 | 1,090 | 0.74× | 3 | 65 |
| Connecticutlimited | $79,890 | 1,220 | 0.95× | 2 | 64 |
| West Virginia | $49,110 | 580 | 1.10× | 8 | 64 |
| Nebraskamoderate | $63,880 | 770 | 0.99× | 4 | 58 |
| Iowa | $60,540 | 950 | 0.81× | 5 | 52 |
| South Dakotamoderate | $59,870 | 600 | 1.73× | 3 | 38 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $74,130 | 240 | 0.63× | 2 | 31 |
| Montanamoderate | $60,970 | 490 | 1.26× | 3 | 24 |
| Mainelimited | $62,860 | 470 | 0.98× | 2 | 15 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $75,040 | 370 | 0.71× | 2 | 13 |
| Wyominglimited | $58,850 | 210 | 1.00× | 2 | 13 |
| North Dakotalimited | $61,640 | 370 | 1.14× | 1 | 8 |
| Delawarelimited | $62,250 | 340 | 0.93× | 1 | 6 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
- Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
- Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
- Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
- Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
- Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
- Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
- Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
Skills
- Monitoring3.8
- Active Listening3.4
- Speaking3.1
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Active Learning3.0
- Learning Strategies3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Writing2.9
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service3.7
- Medicine and Dentistry3.7
- English Language3.5
- Education and Training3.1
- Psychology2.9
- Public Safety and Security2.9
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Near Vision3.8
- Problem Sensitivity3.8
- Speech Recognition3.6
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.5
- Manual Dexterity3.4
Core activities
- Getting Information4.5
- Assisting and Caring for Others4.5
- Handling and Moving Objects4.4
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.4
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.4
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.4
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Surgical Technologist
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 3 majors mapped to Surgical Technologists3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.0811Pathology/Pathologist Assistant
- 51.0909Surgical Technology/Technologist
- 51.1012Sterile Processing Technology/Technician
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Surgical Technologist?+
Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Surgical Technology/Technologist, which awarded 8,514 degrees in 2024-25, 76.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Surgical Technologist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Allied Health Diagnostic, Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions, Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services. Together they graduate about 11,169 people a year.
How much do surgical technologists earn?+
The median is $64,650 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $45,940 at the 10th percentile to $96,940 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for surgical technologists growing?+
BLS projects a +4.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 7,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
495 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do surgical technologists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Surgical Technician, Operating Room Technician (OR Tech), Certified Surgical Technologist (CST), Surgical Technologist (Surgical Tech) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-2055.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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