Surgical Technology & Sterile Processing salary guide

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Published BLS wages for this family. BLS OEWS May 2025.

Surgical Technologist (Surgical Tech, Scrub Tech, CST) SOC 29-2055, Surgical Technologists. direct match.
CVOR Surgical Technologist (Open Heart Scrub Tech) SOC 29-2055, Surgical Technologists. broader match.
Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA, CSA, Surgical Assistant) SOC 29-9093, Surgical Assistants. direct match.
Anesthesia Technician SOC 29-2099, Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other. broader match.
Sterile Processing Technician (SPD Tech, Central Sterile Tech, CRCST) SOC 31-9093, Medical Equipment Preparers. direct match.
Sterile Processing Lead / Supervisor SOC 43-1011, First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers. direct match.
Endoscope Reprocessing Technician (Scope Tech) SOC 31-9093, Medical Equipment Preparers. broader match.
Orthopedic Technologist (Ortho Tech, Cast Tech) SOC 29-2099, Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other. broader match.
Lead Surgical Technologist SOC 29-2055, Surgical Technologists. broader match.
Senior Surgical Technologist SOC 29-2055, Surgical Technologists. broader match.
Lead Anesthesia Technician SOC 29-2099, Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other. broader match.

What work sits inside this family?

This family covers operative support and reprocessing work around procedures. A surgical technologist sets up the field, passes instruments, and stays with the case. Sterile processing technicians clean, inspect, assemble, and prepare trays and devices for the next use. These jobs affect the day in different ways.

A physician-owner or manager should separate bedside case work from reprocessing work before writing the role. The titles can sound similar, but the shift rhythm, physical tasks, and handoffs are not the same.

How does the day change by location?

In the OR, the day starts before the first incision and follows the case schedule. The tech opens supplies, checks instruments, and stays with the surgeon and circulator through room turnover. In sterile processing, the work moves through decontamination, inspection, assembly, and sterilizer loads. Each area asks for a different pace and focus.

CVOR, ortho, and endoscope reprocessing add their own trays and device steps. We ask which rooms, tools, and devices the person sees most often, because that shapes the interview and the offer.

Who decides what on the shift?

The surgeon directs the procedure. The scrub tech works within the sterile field and speaks up when instruments, counts, or supplies are off. The circulator handles room flow and tasks outside the sterile field. In sterile processing, the lead assigns stations, checks work, and escalates missing items or failed inspection.

For lead roles, ask where the handoff ends. Some leads only set daily assignments. Others also coach staff, adjust coverage, and report supply problems to the next manager.

What should hiring managers ask in the interview?

Ask which procedures the person has actually supported. A general OR technologist may not be ready for open heart, trauma, or complex ortho trays without review. For sterile processing, ask about decontamination, assembly, biological monitoring awareness, and instrument tracking work.

We also ask about shift pattern, call, weekends, and where the person stands during turnover. That helps you see whether the job is steady room work, fast coverage, or a mixed support schedule.

How do experience and specialty shape pay talks?

Years in a title matter less than case mix and day-to-day trust. A newer tech who covers basic rooms is different from someone who handles vascular, spine, or heart cases with less oversight. The same is true in sterile processing when one person can move between decon and assembly.

Lead titles usually call for more judgment, not just more time in the department. Ask who solves missing instrument problems, who trains new staff, and who speaks for the area when the day falls behind.

How should we frame salary guidance for this family?

For buyers, the useful question is not only market pay. It is what the role carries on a normal day, what the person must already know, and which tasks you will train after hire. That is how you compare a scrub tech, first assistant, anesthesia tech, SPD lead, and related roles.

A clear scope keeps offers cleaner and interviews shorter. It also helps you decide when a broader title can cover the work, and when you need a tighter specialty match.

What else should you ask about this edition?

How do I tell a Surgical Technologist from a Certified Surgical First Assistant?

A surgical technologist supports the sterile field and passes instruments. A certified surgical first assistant works closer to the surgeon during the case. We ask who does what during actual procedures, because title overlap can hide a very different daily workload.

What should we ask a Sterile Processing candidate about the workday?

Ask which stations they have used, including decontamination, assembly, and sterilizer loading. Also ask how they handle missing trays, damaged instruments, and tray checks before release. That tells you whether they can work your flow without guesswork.

When does a lead title need more than technical skill?

A lead needs enough judgment to assign work, check quality, and speak up when instruments or staffing fall short. If the person only wants one station, the lead title may not fit. We ask who makes the daily call in the room or decon area.

How do open heart, ortho, and endoscope roles change the hire?

Those settings change the tools, the tray mix, and the pace of the day. An open heart scrub tech may need different case exposure than a general OR tech. For scope work, ask about cleaning steps, handling fragile devices, and documenting each reprocessing cycle.