In 2023, 69% of ASC leaders said recruiting surgical technologists had gotten harder over the past year, compared with 68% for experienced OR nurses. It was the first year techs topped nurses on that measure, according to an OR Manager survey.
The shortage is “on par with the nursing shortage,” Kevin Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, told Becker’s in 2024.
Here are the numbers to know.
Supply and demand
- 118,400: Surgical technologists employed in the U.S. in 2025, plus 24,400 surgical assistants, for 142,800 combined, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- 5%: Employment growth BLS projects for surgical assistants and technologists from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations.
- 8,600: Average annual openings BLS expects over the decade, many from replacing workers who change occupations or leave the labor force.
- 71%: Share of surgical technologists who work in hospitals, BLS estimates. Outpatient care centers employ 10% and physician offices 11%.
- 16%: Surgical tech vacancy rate at Florida hospitals in 2024, versus an 11% average across allied health roles, the Florida Hospital Association reported. Turnover hit 22%, against a 15.8% allied health average.
- 39%: ASC leaders who reported increased surgical tech turnover in 2023 in an OR Manager survey, versus 35% for RNs.
- 8: Average FTE tech staff per ASC, compared with 15 nurses, benchmarking data shows.
Pay
- $64,650: Median annual pay for surgical technologists in May 2025, BLS reported. Surgical assistants earned a median $66,800.
- $68,710: Average annual wage for surgical technologists in May 2025, BLS data shows. The lowest 10% earned under $45,940 and the highest 10% more than $96,940.
- $83,820: Average wage in Massachusetts, the highest of any state, BLS data shows. Alabama ranked lowest at $50,680.
- $10,000: Top sign-on bonus Corewell Health advertised for surgical techs.
- Adjusted for cost of living, the picture shifts. Minnesota leads at $40.49 an hour, while Hawaii falls to last at $19.18, an analysis of May 2025 BLS wages and World Population Review cost-of-living data found.
| Rank | State | Adjusted hourly wage | Unadjusted hourly wage |
| 1 | Minnesota | $40.49 | $38.30 |
| 2 | Nevada | $35.93 | $36.00 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $35.69 | $34.87 |
| 4 | Illinois | $35.58 | $33.69 |
| 5 | Indiana | $35.36 | $32.18 |
The training pipeline
- 430: Accredited surgical technology programs in recent years, down from more than 500 several years earlier, the Association of Surgical Technologists said.
- Certificate or associate degree: What techs typically need from an accredited program, BLS says.
- More than 25 of about 240: Surgical tech roles open across Penn Medicine as of May 2024.
- 25 of 240: Surgical tech roles Penn Medicine had open at one point in 2024.
The Association of Surgical Technologists has said it is “very concerned” about the growth of nonaccredited programs and on-the-job training.
Impact on ORs
- 50%: Minimum share of revenue surgeries generate at many hospitals, a study published in the National Library of Medicine found.
- 25%+: Share of U.S. inpatient stays that include at least one OR procedure, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality data shows.
- 6-7 to 3: Drop in orthopedic scrub techs at one Trinity Health site, which later climbed back to four, Blake Miller, DO, told WZZM in 2023.
- 1 in 4: ASC staff in tech roles, based on 8 tech FTEs versus 15 nurses and 9 administrative staff per center, benchmarking data shows.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
