Surgical Technologist.
Columbus.
$56,000
median salary, 11% below the national average
$46,000 to $69,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Surgical Technologist pay in Columbus ranges from $46,000 to $69,000 in 2026. The median is $56,000, 11% below the national average. Columbus is Ohio's largest city and a growing technology and logistics hub, home to companies like Nationwide Insurance and a major Intel semiconductor fab under construction. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. 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 Columbus, 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 $64,120 for Surgical Technologists (SOC 29-2055) in the Columbus, OH metropolitan area, based on 750 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$50,110
25th percentile
$60,760
Median
$64,120
75th percentile
$78,510
90th percentile
$84,650
Workers surveyed
750
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 Columbus 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 $51,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$36,000
to $45,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$48,000
to $59,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$62,000
to $73,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$70,000
to $87,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $14,000 to the total package.
Base
$56,000
Equity
$8,000
Bonus
$5,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $70,000
How Columbus compares.
Columbus, OH
$56,000
Cost of living: 7% below average
National Average
$63,000
Columbus is $7,000 below
Surgical Technologist salary by city.
Salary by role in Columbus.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate a Surgical Technologist offer in Columbus, understand the terrain. Columbus is Ohio's largest city and a growing technology and logistics hub, home to companies like Nationwide Insurance and a major Intel semiconductor fab under construction. The city's large university system and low cost of living attract both startups and corporate expansions. Tech salaries have been climbing as national employers establish Midwest 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 Columbus, 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: ohio's income tax tops out around 3.5%, and Columbus adds a city income tax of 2.5%. The combined rate is moderate, but the city tax applies to all who work within city limits. When someone quotes you $56,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Mention Intel's new fab investment when negotiating. The semiconductor megaproject is driving salaries upward across the entire Columbus tech and engineering market. The range for Surgical Technologists in Columbus runs from $46,000 to $69,000. 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?
- An Electrician in Columbus earns $55,000 (2% less)
- The highest-paying role in Columbus is CTO at $285,000
Common questions.
Surgical Technologist salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Columbus.
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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Surgical Technologist Salary in Columbus, OH." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/surgical-technologist/columbus
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