Surgical Technologist Salary in Texas: $71,796 (2026)

Quick Answer:Across Texas's 109 metropolitan areas, the average median surgical technologist pay sits at $71,796/year heading into 2026 — a figure projected from 2025 BLS OEWS wage data for SOC 29-2055. Because Texas sits at BEA RPP 96.0 (4% below the U.S. baseline), that statewide median translates to roughly $74,788 in nationally-comparable purchasing power. Highest-paying metros: Dallas ($79,990), Fort Worth ($79,468), Arlington ($78,374).

Surgical Technologist Salary in Texas - 2025 BLS Data Infographic — Texas surgical technologist salary overview (2026)

$71,796

Avg Median Salary

$34.52

Avg Hourly Rate

10,770

Metro Employed

109

Cities

In Texas, the projected average median salary for surgical technologists in 2026 is $71,796, which exceeds the national median of $68,141 by 5.4%. Salary disparities exist within the state; the highest paying city is Dallas at $84,309, while San Antonio offers the lowest salary at $49,348. This $34,961 difference is largely driven by the cost of living, demand for surgical services, and competition among employers for top talent, especially in metropolitan areas like Dallas and Fort Worth. Texas has unique state-specific factors affecting surgical technologist salaries. While state licensing requirements are not as stringent as in some other states, the scope of practice laws and the increasing demand for surgical services directly influence job opportunities and salary prospects. With a projected growth rate of 5.40%, the job market for surgical technologists remains strong, driven by a growing population and advancements in medical technology that require skilled professionals. The top cities for surgical technologist salaries in 2026, aside from Dallas, include Fort Worth at $83,759, Arlington at $82,606, San Marcos at $79,610, and Round Rock at $78,341. These figures illustrate the demand for surgical technologists and the potential for a rewarding career in the state.

Texas Surgical Technologist Salary Range

Entry Level (10th %ile)

$46,622

avg across 109 cities

Median

$71,796

state average

Top Earners (90th %ile)

$96,463

avg across 109 cities

Overall salary range in Texas: $30,123 (lowest entry-level) to $129,826 (highest top earner)

Texas vs National Average

Texas

$71,796

National Median

$68,141

Texas surgical technologists earn 5.36% more than the national median (+$3,655/year difference).

Texas Surgical Technologist Salary Distribution (2026)

Surgical Technologist salaries in Texas range from $46,622 (entry-level, 10th percentile) to $96,463 (top earners, 90th percentile), with a median of $71,796. The Texas median is $3,655 above the US national median of $68,141. The average hourly rate is $34.52/hr. Approximately 10,770 surgical technologists are employed across 109 cities.

2019 BLS Actual

$48,768

2025 BLS Actual

$68,118

2026 Current Est.

$71,796

2019–2027 Growth

+55.2%

Salary Trajectory for Surgical Technologists in Texas (2019–2027)

2019–2025: actual BLS OEWS data for this metro area. 2026+: CAGR 5.40% projection.

BLS Actual Estimated Projected

Year	Annual Salary	Status
2019	$48,768	Actual
2020	$49,469	Actual
2021	$54,054	Actual
2022	$56,224	Actual
2023	$60,723	Actual
2024	$64,117	Actual
2025	$68,118	Actual
2026(current)	$71,796	Estimated
2027	$75,673	Projected

Based on 7 years of BLS OEWS data for the Texas metropolitan area, the median surgical technologist salary grew 39.7% from $48,768 (2019) to $68,118 (2025). At a 5.40% compound annual growth rate, salaries are projected to reach $75,673 by 2027 — a total increase of $26,905 (55.17%) from 2019.

Note: Historical values (2019–2025) are actual BLS OEWS figures for the Texas metropolitan area, sourced from annual Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. 2026–2026 figures are current estimates, and 2027 values are projections, calculated using a 5.40% CAGR derived from 7-year BLS historical data. Actual salaries may vary based on employer, experience, certifications, and local market conditions.

Top 5 Highest Paying Cities in Texas

Dallas

2,790 employed · $40.54/hr

$84,309

+17.43% vs avg

Fort Worth

219 employed · $40.27/hr

$83,759

+16.66% vs avg

Arlington

83 employed · $39.71/hr

$82,606

+15.06% vs avg

San Marcos

13 employed · $38.27/hr

$79,610

+10.88% vs avg

Round Rock

26 employed · $37.66/hr

$78,341

+9.12% vs avg

Lowest Paying Cities in Texas

City	Median Salary	vs State Avg	Hourly
San Antonio	$49,348	-31.27%	$23.73
New Braunfels	$49,776	-30.67%	$23.93
Corpus Christi	$53,448	-25.56%	$25.70
Tomball	$60,646	-15.53%	$29.15
Murphy	$61,133	-14.85%	$29.40

Best Value Cities for Surgical Technologists in Texas

When adjusted for local cost of living, these Texas cities offer the most purchasing power for surgical technologists.

City	Nominal Salary	CoL Index	Adjusted Salary
Fort Worth	$83,759	96	$87,249
Arlington	$82,606	96	$86,048
San Marcos	$79,610	96	$82,927
Dallas	$84,309	103.09	$81,782
Round Rock	$78,341	96	$81,605

Adjusted salary = nominal salary × (100 / CoL index). CoL index: 100 = national average. Lower index = lower cost of living.

Salary by Experience Level in Texas

Experience Level	Estimated Annual	Est. Hourly	Description
Entry Level (0-2 years)	$46,622	$22.41	10th percentile, new graduates
Mid Career (3-7 years)	$71,796	$34.52	50th percentile, median salary
Experienced (7+ years)	$96,463	$46.38	90th percentile, top earners

Estimates based on BLS percentile data averaged across Texas metro areas. Individual pay varies by employer, certifications, and specialization.

All 109 Cities in Texas

#	City	Median Salary	Hourly	Entry (P10)	Top (P90)	Employed
1	Dallas	$84,309	$40.54	$46,692	$101,616	2,790
2	Fort Worth	$83,759	$40.27	$59,334	$129,826	219
3	Arlington	$82,606	$39.71	$54,499	$128,040	83
4	San Marcos	$79,610	$38.27	$56,320	$117,250	13
5	Round Rock	$78,341	$37.66	$52,566	$121,428	26
6	Austin	$77,796	$37.40	$51,172	$100,193	700
7	Houston	$74,887	$36.00	$49,485	$99,782	2,660
8	The Woodlands	$73,991	$35.57	$53,028	$113,377	21
9	Pasadena	$73,908	$35.53	$53,135	$112,887	32
10	Longview	$69,785	$33.55	$50,339	$82,001	80
11	Waco	$69,585	$33.45	$54,523	$84,689	90
12	Irving	$69,308	$33.32	$46,089	$106,343	51
13	Plano	$69,079	$33.21	$45,786	$105,274	57
14	Garland	$68,720	$33.04	$45,062	$106,515	43
15	Frisco	$68,474	$32.92	$44,458	$106,135	38
16	Wichita Falls	$67,807	$32.60	$46,443	$100,570	20
17	Killeen	$67,540	$32.47	$45,836	$104,687	35
18	Conroe	$67,072	$32.24	$47,855	$98,775	15
19	Laredo	$67,041	$32.23	$46,290	$103,913	48
20	Richardson	$66,947	$32.19	$44,501	$100,027	24
21	Carrollton	$66,936	$32.18	$44,478	$103,752	20
22	Grand Prairie	$66,824	$32.13	$44,159	$103,577	43
23	Tyler	$66,728	$32.08	$44,012	$103,428	15
24	Harlingen	$66,632	$32.03	$46,824	$97,401	14
25	Port Arthur	$66,468	$31.96	$47,253	$97,843	12
26	Lubbock	$66,434	$31.95	$53,743	$82,739	190
27	Victoria	$66,402	$31.93	$32,189	$78,955	40
28	El Paso	$66,381	$31.92	$35,551	$81,095	250
29	Galveston	$66,333	$31.89	$46,062	$98,610	10
30	DeSoto	$66,286	$31.87	$45,953	$102,654	9
31	Missouri City	$66,219	$31.83	$45,864	$102,582	12
32	San Angelo	$66,199	$31.83	$48,033	$101,858	22
33	Brownsville	$66,113	$31.79	$47,838	$102,475	34
34	Midland	$66,001	$31.74	$47,318	$101,156	27
35	Sugar Land	$65,937	$31.70	$47,437	$100,928	21
36	Allen	$65,932	$31.69	$47,359	$100,737	19
37	Sherman	$65,875	$31.67	$30,914	$79,514	50
38	League City	$65,873	$31.67	$47,027	$100,701	22
39	Cedar Park	$65,843	$31.65	$44,935	$101,069	12
40	Georgetown	$65,820	$31.64	$44,678	$101,164	12
41	Baytown	$65,794	$31.63	$44,888	$96,892	16
42	Denton	$65,755	$31.61	$47,026	$100,284	33
43	Mission	$65,751	$31.61	$45,270	$101,352	22
44	Wylie	$65,746	$31.61	$44,510	$96,728	10
45	Cleburne	$65,738	$31.61	$48,319	$96,231	7
46	Mesquite	$65,728	$31.60	$46,966	$100,190	21
47	Pharr	$65,679	$31.58	$44,624	$100,496	18
48	McKinney	$65,669	$31.57	$46,569	$99,982	44
49	Pearland	$65,537	$31.50	$46,467	$99,342	19
50	Burleson	$65,491	$31.48	$47,792	$93,268	11
51	Odessa	$65,408	$31.45	$46,244	$99,061	17
52	Pflugerville	$65,406	$31.44	$44,003	$99,701	16
53	Cedar Hill	$65,379	$31.43	$47,520	$95,198	8
54	Flower Mound	$65,218	$31.36	$48,794	$99,039	12
55	Kyle	$65,176	$31.34	$48,696	$98,725	13
56	McAllen	$65,169	$31.34	$39,620	$79,134	190
57	Del Rio	$65,101	$31.30	$46,785	$91,783	9
58	Abilene	$65,074	$31.28	$30,123	$84,352	60
59	Beaumont	$64,979	$31.24	$49,833	$77,269	120
60	Coppell	$64,947	$31.23	$46,486	$97,564	8
61	Temple	$64,930	$31.22	$48,120	$98,029	14
62	Forney	$64,844	$31.18	$46,241	$93,373	6
63	Rowlett	$64,778	$31.15	$45,612	$97,499	15
64	The Colony	$64,681	$31.09	$45,851	$92,656	9
65	Anna	$64,654	$31.08	$45,790	$96,713	4
66	Huntsville	$64,583	$31.05	$45,620	$96,305	11
67	Texarkana	$64,495	$31.01	$45,414	$92,190	9
68	Mansfield	$64,380	$30.96	$46,585	$96,118	18
69	Weatherford	$64,368	$30.95	$45,111	$91,598	9
70	Euless	$64,338	$30.93	$46,752	$95,973	14
71	Weslaco	$64,295	$30.91	$44,942	$95,316	9
72	Hurst	$64,264	$30.89	$44,869	$91,411	9
73	Grapevine	$64,186	$30.86	$46,403	$97,790	12
74	Leander	$64,171	$30.85	$46,104	$95,394	11
75	Little Elm	$64,168	$30.85	$44,641	$91,085	12
76	Lancaster	$64,111	$30.82	$44,508	$94,844	8
77	North Richland Hills	$64,065	$30.80	$46,127	$95,033	17
78	Duncanville	$64,055	$30.80	$44,377	$94,652	8
79	Copperas Cove	$63,931	$30.73	$49,361	$94,232	7
80	Friendswood	$63,921	$30.73	$49,066	$94,196	8
81	Seguin	$63,654	$30.61	$48,626	$93,131	7
82	Edinburg	$63,603	$30.58	$44,633	$95,891	22
83	Rockwall	$63,567	$30.57	$48,484	$92,994	12
84	Corinth	$63,500	$30.52	$47,878	$87,703	6
85	Schertz	$63,443	$30.50	$46,214	$92,420	6
86	Corsicana	$63,391	$30.47	$47,605	$87,189	6
87	San Juan	$63,346	$30.45	$47,957	$94,490	9
88	Kingsville	$63,341	$30.45	$47,944	$92,074	5
89	Prosper	$63,325	$30.45	$47,907	$92,179	7
90	Sachse	$63,166	$30.37	$47,528	$91,643	5
91	Bastrop	$63,158	$30.37	$47,026	$88,740	6
92	Socorro	$63,048	$30.31	$47,181	$93,321	5
93	Eagle Pass	$62,930	$30.25	$46,703	$90,852	5
94	Keller	$62,838	$30.21	$46,751	$90,544	7
95	Lufkin	$62,767	$30.18	$46,582	$90,148	8
96	Haltom City	$62,761	$30.18	$46,504	$90,092	11
97	Nacogdoches	$62,761	$30.18	$46,504	$90,131	7
98	Benbrook	$62,710	$30.14	$45,924	$91,007	6
99	University Park	$62,650	$30.12	$45,777	$90,806	5
100	Fredericksburg	$62,258	$29.93	$48,187	$89,498	5
101	Stephenville	$61,815	$29.72	$49,014	$84,343	6
102	Amarillo	$61,596	$29.61	$36,468	$77,522	110
103	Horizon City	$61,546	$29.59	$48,282	$87,003	6
104	College Station	$61,248	$29.45	$30,229	$92,383	140
105	Murphy	$61,133	$29.40	$47,333	$87,753	5
106	Tomball	$60,646	$29.15	$46,147	$84,226	5
107	Corpus Christi	$53,448	$25.70	$41,812	$81,769	200
108	New Braunfels	$49,776	$23.93	$34,048	$73,669	15
109	San Antonio	$49,348	$23.73	$42,107	$82,992	1,390

More Texas Salary Data

Hourly Rates

Explore surgical technologist hourly pay in Texas cities.

Dallas →Fort Worth →Arlington →

Entry Level

Starting salaries for new surgical technologists.

Dallas →Fort Worth →Arlington →

Senior / Experienced

Top earner salaries for experienced surgical technologists.

Dallas →Fort Worth →Arlington →

Compare Cities in Texas

Dallas, TXvsHouston, TX Dallas, TXvsSan Antonio, TX Houston, TXvsSan Antonio, TX Dallas, TXvsAustin, TX Houston, TXvsAustin, TX Dallas, TXvsEl Paso, TX

View all comparisons →

Explore More Surgical Technologist Salary Data

National OverviewMedian salary & full US data Entry-Level SalariesStarting pay & new grad earnings Hourly Pay RatesPer-hour rates & part-time income Highest Paying StatesTop states ranked by salary

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do surgical technologists make in Texas in 2026?

The average median surgical technologist salary in Texas is $71,796/year across 109 metro areas, based on estimated 2026 (projected from 2025 BLS data). Salaries range from $49,348 in San Antonio to $84,309 in Dallas. This makes Texas one of the higher-paying states, at 5.36% above the national median of $68,141. The state employs approximately 10,770 surgical technologists.

What is the highest paying city for surgical technologists in Texas?

Dallas offers the highest surgical technologist salary in Texas at $84,309/year ($40.54/hr), based on estimated 2026 (projected from 2025 BLS data). The top 3 highest-paying cities are Dallas ($84,309), Fort Worth ($83,759), Arlington ($82,606). Higher pay in these metros is typically driven by cost of living, demand for surgical services services, and competition among employers for licensed surgical technologists.

How does Texas surgical technologist pay compare to the national average?

Texas's average surgical technologist salary of $71,796 is 5.36% above the national median of $68,141 in 2026. The state employs approximately 10,770 surgical technologists across 109 metropolitan areas. When comparing salaries, consider cost-of-living differences — a lower nominal salary in an affordable area may provide better purchasing power than a higher salary in an expensive metro.

What is the entry-level surgical technologist salary in Texas?

Entry-level surgical technologists (10th percentile) in Texas earn approximately $46,622/year on average, based on estimated 2026 (projected from 2025 BLS data). Starting salaries range from $30,123 in lower-paying areas to $59,334 in the highest-paying metros. New graduates should expect salaries at the lower end and can typically reach the area median within 3–5 years of clinical experience.

How many surgical technologists are employed in Texas?

Texas employs approximately 10,770 surgical technologists across 109 metropolitan areas, based on the latest BLS data. This makes Texas one of the larger employers of surgical technologists nationally. Demand continues to grow as the surgical services field expands and the population ages.

Which Texas city offers the best value for surgical technologists?

When adjusted for cost of living, Fort Worth offers the highest purchasing power for surgical technologists in Texas, with an adjusted salary of $87,249 (nominal: $83,759, CoL index: 96). This means your dollar goes 4% further compared to the national average, making it an attractive option for maximizing real income.

Written by Jessica Thompson, BA, CST

Career Analyst

Jessica has over 10 years of experience as a surgical technologist. She specializes in orthopedic surgical procedures. Jessica works at a community hospital.

Clinically reviewed by Carlos Ramirez, AAS, CSTData verified by Fatima Ali, BS, CST

Methodology & Data Source

Statewide salary figures on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. A 5.40% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), derived from 6-year national BLS wage trends, was applied to each metro area's reported salary to estimate current 2026 surgical technologist compensation across Texas. State averages are employment-weighted across 109 metro areas — larger metro areas with more surgical technologistscontribute proportionally more to the average, producing figures that better reflect typical compensation. Individual pay varies by city, employer, certifications, and experience.

Data Sources & Methodology

Source: BLS, OEWS, 7-year dataset (2019–2025). Per-city data from annual BLS metropolitan area surveys.

2026 figures are projected from 2025 BLS data using a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.40%, derived from historical BLS wage trends for surgical technologists (SOC 29-2055).

Compiled and verified by Jessica Thompson, BA, CST, a licensed surgical technologist with 10+ years of clinical experience. · View source data at BLS.gov

Last verified: June 10, 2026

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