BLS Surgical Technologist Median Salary 2025 (May 2025 OEWS)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program publishes annual wage estimates for every US occupation, indexed by Standard Occupational Classification code. Surgical technologists are SOC 29-2055. The May 2025 dataset, released 15 May 2026, is the most recent authoritative federal source. Its publication ran later than the usual late-March timing because the autumn 2025 federal government shutdown delayed survey processing.
BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile table (SOC 29-2055)
National cross-industry estimates for the entire occupation. Hourly and annual figures both published by BLS.
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,940 | $22.09 |
| 25th percentile | $54,690 | $26.29 |
| Median (50th) | $64,650 | $31.08 |
| Mean | $68,710 | $33.03 |
| 75th percentile | $79,750 | $38.34 |
| 90th percentile | $96,940 | $46.61 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release (published 15 May 2026). bls.gov/oes/current/oes292055.htm
Year-over-year median pay trend
BLS publishes a fresh OEWS release each spring covering the prior May reference period. Trend across the last three releases:
| Reference month | Median annual | Mean annual | YoY change (median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2022 | $55,960 | $57,490 | baseline |
| May 2023 | $58,330 | $60,610 | +4.2% |
| May 2024 | $60,610 | $63,060 | +3.9% |
| May 2025 | $64,650 | $68,710 | +6.7% |
Three-year cumulative median wage growth: approximately 15.5%. Source: BLS OEWS May 2022, May 2023, May 2024, May 2025 releases.
BLS May 2025 industry breakdown
Top-paying industries that employ surgical technologists, mean annual wage:
| Industry | Mean annual | Mean hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools | $77,270 | $37.15 |
| Specialty (except psychiatric) hospitals | $75,540 | $36.32 |
| Outpatient care centers | $69,250 | $33.29 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | $69,000 | $33.17 |
| Offices of physicians | $68,090 | $32.74 |
| Government (federal, state, and local) | $64,930 | $31.22 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, industry cross-tab for SOC 29-2055. The federal Executive Branch was not separately published at the detailed industry level in this release, so the combined government category is shown.
How the BLS OEWS data is collected
BLS samples approximately 200,000 establishments every six months and pools three years of survey panels to produce annual May estimates. The May 2025 release blends survey responses from May 2025, November 2024, May 2024, November 2023, May 2023, and November 2022, wage-adjusted to the May 2025 reference period. This wide sample explains why BLS figures move more slowly than crowdsourced sites such as Glassdoor or ZipRecruiter.
For surgical technologists specifically, BLS includes only employees coded under SOC 29-2055. Surgical first assistants (no separate SOC), surgical assistants (sometimes 29-1290 ambiguous), and CSFAs in independent contractor arrangements may be undercounted. That undercount is one reason BLS figures look slightly below specialty-aggregator reports for senior CST roles.
Latest release: May 2025 OEWS, published 15 May 2026
BLS published the May 2025 OEWS on 15 May 2026, later than the usual late-March timing because the autumn 2025 federal government shutdown (1 October to 12 November 2025) delayed survey collection and processing. May 2025 is now the authoritative federal source for surgical technologist wages, superseding the May 2024 figures. The next update, covering the May 2026 reference period, is expected in spring 2027.