Surgical Technologist.
Charlotte.
$63,000
median salary, at the national average
$52,000 to $77,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Surgical Technologist in Charlotte earns a median of $63,000 in 2026. That is right at the national average. The range runs from $52,000 to $77,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Surgical specialty drives compensation, with cardiovascular, neuro, and robotic surgery techs earning the most. 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 Charlotte, 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 $63,490 for Surgical Technologists (SOC 29-2055) in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan area, based on 1,170 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$49,600
25th percentile
$54,640
Median
$63,490
75th percentile
$77,550
90th percentile
$81,030
Workers surveyed
1,170
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 Charlotte range 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 $57,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$41,000
to $50,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$54,000
to $66,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$69,000
to $82,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$79,000
to $98,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $16,000 to the total package.
Base
$63,000
Equity
$9,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $79,000
How Charlotte compares.
Charlotte, NC
$63,000
Cost of living: 3% below average
National Average
$63,000
Same as local rate
Surgical Technologist salary by city.
Salary by role in Charlotte.
What you should know.
Here is what the Surgical Technologist market actually looks like in Charlotte. Charlotte is the second largest banking center in the U.S. after New York, with Bank of America and Truist headquartered here. The city's financial services dominance creates strong demand for finance, tech, and operations professionals. Rapid population growth has expanded the tech sector, with fintech and enterprise software companies establishing offices. 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 Charlotte, 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: north Carolina has a flat 4.5% state income tax. Charlotte has no city income tax. The moderate rate combined with low living costs makes net compensation very attractive. When someone quotes you $63,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Benchmark against banking sector pay scales. Even non finance roles in Charlotte benefit from the high compensation standards set by major banks headquartered here. The range for Surgical Technologists in Charlotte runs from $52,000 to $77,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- A Sales Representative in Charlotte earns $62,000 (2% less)
- The highest-paying role in Charlotte is CTO at $303,000
Common questions.
Surgical Technologist salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Charlotte.
Related salary pages
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Surgical Technologist Salary in Charlotte, NC." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/surgical-technologist/charlotte
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