Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

29-2055 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 surgeon's assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
94,490 1.3 % $20.41 $42,460 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $13.87 $16.32 $19.69 $23.42 $28.44
Annual Wage (2) $28,860 $33,950 $40,950 $48,710 $59,150


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 65,390 1.26 $20.06 $41,730
Offices of Physicians 12,070 0.51 $21.57 $44,860
Outpatient Care Centers 7,810 1.28 $21.51 $44,730
Offices of Dentists 4,020 0.48 $18.35 $38,170
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 1,220 0.55 $23.01 $47,860

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Outpatient Care Centers 7,810 1.28 $21.51 $44,730
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 65,390 1.26 $20.06 $41,730
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 1,220 0.55 $23.01 $47,860
Offices of Physicians 12,070 0.51 $21.57 $44,860
Offices of Dentists 4,020 0.48 $18.35 $38,170

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Individual and Family Services (8) (8) $24.10 $50,140
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 790 0.12 $23.54 $48,960
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 800 0.03 $23.03 $47,900
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 1,220 0.55 $23.01 $47,860
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 370 0.15 $21.96 $45,680


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 9,440 0.92 1.24 $20.00 $41,600
California 8,900 0.63 0.86 $24.97 $51,940
Florida 6,630 0.93 1.26 $18.34 $38,140
New York 5,000 0.59 0.81 $22.26 $46,310
Ohio 3,510 0.71 0.96 $19.39 $40,330




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 820 1.27 1.72 $21.08 $43,840
Mississippi 1,340 1.25 1.69 $15.77 $32,800
Oklahoma 1,820 1.21 1.65 $16.73 $34,800
Tennessee 2,990 1.15 1.56 $17.39 $36,160
South Dakota 440 1.11 1.51 $17.64 $36,700




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 680 0.61 0.82 $25.96 $53,990
Hawaii 260 0.45 0.61 $25.16 $52,340
Alaska 140 0.46 0.62 $25.06 $52,130
California 8,900 0.63 0.86 $24.97 $51,940
Massachusetts 2,410 0.76 1.03 $23.80 $49,500





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 2,870 0.57 0.77 $23.41 $48,700
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 2,760 0.72 0.98 $23.22 $48,290
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 2,130 0.83 1.13 $21.88 $45,500
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 1,700 0.83 1.13 $19.50 $40,560
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 1,630 0.71 0.96 $20.90 $43,480
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 1,410 0.39 0.53 $20.93 $43,540
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 1,400 0.63 0.85 $20.02 $41,640
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 1,370 0.81 1.10 $23.47 $48,820
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 1,350 0.81 1.09 $24.28 $50,500
Baltimore-Towson, MD 1,200 0.96 1.31 $22.75 $47,320




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Florence, SC 250 3.10 4.21 $17.97 $37,370
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 110 2.44 3.31 $20.38 $42,380
Jackson, TN 140 2.44 3.31 $16.44 $34,200
Rochester, MN 210 2.15 2.92 $26.44 $55,000
Johnson City, TN 160 2.10 2.85 $16.45 $34,220
Gainesville, FL 240 2.03 2.75 $17.63 $36,670
Abilene, TX 130 2.01 2.73 $14.99 $31,190
Tyler, TX 170 1.93 2.61 $17.57 $36,550
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 370 1.89 2.57 $22.04 $45,840
Gainesville, GA 130 1.87 2.54 $18.04 $37,530




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 110 0.93 1.26 $33.78 $70,260
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 710 0.74 1.01 $30.58 $63,600
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 530 0.56 0.76 $29.39 $61,140
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 390 0.45 0.61 $29.32 $60,990
Chico, CA 40 0.61 0.82 $28.32 $58,900
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 290 0.53 0.72 $28.14 $58,530
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA 590 0.73 1.00 $26.88 $55,900
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 120 0.71 0.96 $26.60 $55,330
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 510 0.64 0.87 $26.59 $55,310
Rochester, MN 210 2.15 2.92 $26.44 $55,000

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area 290 1.04 1.41 $17.10 $35,560
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 260 0.96 1.30 $19.57 $40,710
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 230 0.79 1.07 $17.59 $36,590
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 220 1.06 1.44 $15.00 $31,190
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 220 1.47 1.99 $17.61 $36,630

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 180 1.56 2.11 $20.55 $42,730
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 220 1.47 1.99 $17.61 $36,630
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 160 1.46 1.98 $15.34 $31,910
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 170 1.45 1.97 $14.38 $29,910
Western Colorado nonmetropolitan area 120 1.22 1.65 $20.49 $42,610

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 40 1.01 1.37 $24.38 $50,700
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 70 0.73 0.99 $23.76 $49,420
Southern Oregon and Linn County nonmetropolitan area 40 0.47 0.63 $22.88 $47,590
Northwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 40 0.91 1.23 $22.80 $47,430
Other New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 70 0.73 0.99 $22.73 $47,270


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012