The 2021 ranking took into account median salary, cost of living and the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ location quotient, which measures how concentrated an industry or occupation is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole.
A location quotient of 1.5, for example, means a state has 1.5 times the concentration of surgical technician jobs compared to the national average. A higher location quotient means more jobs are available in that state in a particular industry.
The top 25 states for surgical technicians:
*Asterisk denotes states with certificate of need laws that do not regulate ASCs.
1. West Virginia
- Average annual salary: $55,947
- Location quotient: 1.79
- ASC per (100k) capita: 0.45
- CON law: Yes
2. Alaska
- Average annual salary: $63,655
- Location quotient: 2.98
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.45
- CON law: Yes
3. Connecticut
- Average annual salary: $57,419
- Location quotient: 2.26
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.47
- CON law: Yes
4. Delaware
- Average annual salary: $59,456
- Location quotient: 1.33
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.22
- CON law: Yes
5. Texas
- Average annual salary: $53,610
- Location quotient: 1.99
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.52
- CON law: No
6. Arizona
- Average annual salary: $56,151
- Location quotient: 1.66
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.67
- CON law: No
7. Rhode Island
- Average annual salary: $58,051
- Location quotient: 0
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.18
- CON law: Yes
8. Illinois
- Average annual salary: $55,654
- Location quotient: 1.7
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.02
- CON law: Yes
9. California
- Average annual salary: $64,180
- Location quotient: 0
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.07
- CON law: No
10. Nevada
- Average annual salary: $57,049
- Location quotient: 0
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.58
- CON law: Yes
11. Mississippi
- Average annual salary: $53,828
- Location quotient: 1.59
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.60
- CON law: Yes
12. New Jersey
- Average annual salary: $56,752
- Location quotient: 1.82
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.79
- CON law: Yes*
13. Wisconsin
- Average annual salary: $50,859
- Location quotient: 2.02
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.44
- CON law: No
14. New York
- Average annual salary: $59,342
- Location quotient: 0
- ASC per (100k) capita: 0.73
- CON law: Yes
15. New Hampshire
- Average annual salary: $55,272
- Location quotient: 0
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.96
- CON law: No
16. Massachusetts
- Average annual salary: $55,060
- Location quotient: 1.85
- ASC per (100k) capita: 0.77
- CON law: Yes*
17. Washington
- Average annual salary: $57,657
- Location quotient: 1.58
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.43
- CON law: Yes
18. Kentucky
- Average annual salary: $53,290
- Location quotient: 0
- ASC per (100k) capita: 0.78
- CON law: Yes
19. District of Columbia
- Average annual salary: $61,322
- Location quotient: 0.78
- ASC per (100k) capita: 0.44
- CON law: Yes
20. Oregon
- Average annual salary: $55,728
- Location quotient: 1.57
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.12
- CON law: Yes*
21. Missouri
- Average annual salary: $51,011
- Location quotient: 1.86
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.66
- CON law: Yes*
22. Minnesota
- Average annual salary: $52,296
- Location quotient: 1.73
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.42
- CON law: No
23. Maryland
- Average annual salary: $57,127
- Location quotient: 1.41
- ASC per (100k) capita: 5.54
- CON law: Yes
24. Idaho
- Average annual salary: $52,572
- Location quotient: 1.34
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.99
- CON law: No
25. Colorado
- Average annual salary: $51,695
- Location quotient: 2.27
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.32
- CON law: No
