Surgical Technologist.
Pittsburgh.
$59,000
median salary, 6% below the national average
$49,000 to $72,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Pittsburgh is 8% cheaper than the national average. For Surgical Technologists, that shakes out to a median of $59,000, with the full range spanning $49,000 to $72,000. Surgical specialty drives compensation, with cardiovascular, neuro, and robotic surgery techs earning the most. Know the range before you walk in. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Surgical Technologist in Pittsburgh, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $62,370 for Surgical Technologists (SOC 29-2055) in the Pittsburgh, PA metropolitan area, based on 890 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$39,690
25th percentile
$49,600
Median
$62,370
75th percentile
$66,440
90th percentile
$78,770
Workers surveyed
890
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Surgical Technologists (SOC 29-2055) rather than Surgical Technologist specifically. The Pittsburghrange at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 29-2055Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $53,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$38,000
to $47,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$50,000
to $62,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$65,000
to $77,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$74,000
to $91,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $16,000 to the total package.
Base
$59,000
Equity
$9,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $75,000
How Pittsburgh compares.
Pittsburgh, PA
$59,000
Cost of living: 8% below average
National Average
$63,000
Pittsburgh is $4,000 below
Surgical Technologist salary by city.
Salary by role in Pittsburgh.
What you should know.
The Surgical Technologist landscape in Pittsburgh is not what most salary sites will tell you. Pittsburgh has reinvented itself from a steel city into a hub for robotics, autonomous vehicles, and healthcare technology. Carnegie Mellon University feeds a strong talent pipeline into AI and robotics companies. The city's low cost of living combined with world class research institutions makes it a hidden gem for technology professionals. Surgical specialty drives compensation, with cardiovascular, neuro, and robotic surgery techs earning the most. Certification through NBSTSA is increasingly required and commands higher pay. Level I trauma centers and academic medical centers pay above community hospitals, and call pay for after-hours coverage adds meaningful income.
New surgical techs start at $45,000 to $50,000 with certification. Experienced techs in specialty ORs earn $58,000 to $68,000 after five years. Lead surgical techs or first assistants can reach $70,000 to $82,000, with surgical first assist certification opening the highest pay tier. In Pittsburgh, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Surgical techs receive call pay of $3 to $6 per hour when on standby, plus overtime for emergency cases. Benefits include health insurance, scrub allowances, and certification renewal reimbursement. Some hospitals offer retention bonuses in tight labor markets. And on the tax side: pennsylvania's flat 3.07% state tax is low, but Pittsburgh adds a local earned income tax of about 3%. Combined with the school district tax, local taxes require attention in negotiations. When someone quotes you $59,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight robotics or AI specialization. Pittsburgh employers tied to CMU's research ecosystem pay nationally competitive salaries for candidates with advanced technical skills. The range for Surgical Technologists in Pittsburgh runs from $49,000 to $72,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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