Surgical Technologist Salary in Tennessee (2026) - $52,810/yr
Tennessee pays surgical technologists a mean of $52,810/yr, -16% below the national mean of $63,060 (BLS OEWS May 2024, SOC 29-2055). Cost-of-living index of 91 brings real purchasing power to roughly $58,033, comfortably above the national real-terms benchmark. No state income tax adds another 4-6% to effective take-home.
Tennessee Metro Area Pay
| Metro Area | Mean Annual | Mean Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin | $56,830 | $27.32 |
| Memphis | $53,210 | $25.58 |
| Knoxville | $51,490 | $24.75 |
| Chattanooga | $50,620 | $24.34 |
| Clarksville | $49,840 | $23.96 |
Metro estimates: BLS OEWS May 2024 metropolitan area cross-tab, SOC 29-2055.
Tennessee Highlights
Nashville is the dominant surgical market. Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Level I trauma, transplant, and pediatric cardiothoracic) anchors the high end of the pay range. HCA Healthcare is headquartered in Nashville and operates TriStar Health, including several Level II trauma centers across Middle Tennessee. Saint Thomas Health (Ascension) and Williamson Medical Center round out the metro.
Memphis: Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Baptist Memorial Hospital, and Regional One Health (Level I trauma) employ a large surgical workforce. St Jude Children's Research Hospital pays at the top of the Memphis range for pediatric specialty roles. Knoxville: UT Medical Center is the only Level I trauma center in East Tennessee and a teaching hospital with broad case mix.
Licensure: Tennessee does not require state-specific surgical technologist licensure. Most major employers require the CST credential through NBSTSA or TS-C through NCCT at hire. The Tennessee lack of state income tax meaningfully improves take-home pay: a $52,810 nominal salary delivers roughly the same after-tax cash as a $56,000 salary in a 6%-income-tax state.