How Much Does a Surgical Tech Make in Alaska in 2026?

A typical Surgical Tech in Alaska earns about $38.65 per hour ($80,380 per year), according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Broken down further, that works out to roughly $6,698 a month and $1,546 a week, based on the annual figure. These figures cover full-time work across the state's hospitals and surgical centers.

That is 24% above the national typical pay of $64,650 a year ($31.08 an hour), and it ranks Alaska 5th out of 51 states for Surgical Tech pay. About 310 Surgical Techs work in Alaska, a small workforce next to the national total of 117,460. Higher pay in Alaska often lines up with the state's higher cost of living.

Entry-level positions in Alaska typically offer around $26.37 per hour, or about $54,840 a year, for Surgical Techs just starting out. That starting pay sits well below the state's typical figure of $80,380. Pay tends to rise toward that typical level within a few years of hands-on operating room experience. Larger hospitals and busier surgical centers tend to move new hires up faster than smaller facilities.

Experienced Surgical Techs in Alaska often earn upwards of $48.59 per hour, with the top 10% of earners making over $101,060 a year. That is a spread of $46,220 between entry-level and top pay in the state. Setting, years of experience, and city all factor into where a given Surgical Tech lands on that scale. Techs working in Anchorage's larger surgical centers tend to reach the higher end sooner than those in smaller towns.

Alaska Surgical Tech pay has risen steadily over the past decade, climbing from $53,370 in 2015 to $80,380 in 2025. That is a gain of $27,010, or 51%, over ten years. The rise was not perfectly steady; pay dipped in 2020 and 2021 before climbing sharply again from 2022 onward. Since 2022, typical pay has held above $75,000 each year.

Nationally, Surgical Tech pay rose 46% over the same ten years, so Alaska's climb outpaced the national trend by five points. Pay has moved up steadily for a decade, though there's no guarantee that pattern continues at the same pace. Someone starting out today enters a field where wages have trended upward in Alaska for years running.

Pay runs highest in Anchorage, where Surgical Techs earn $80,880 a year, or $38.89 an hour. That is about 1% above the statewide figure of $80,380. Fairbanks and the neighboring community of College post lower but still solid figures, with Surgical Techs there earning $75,640 a year, or $36.37 an hour. These figures reflect pay across each city's full metro area.

College posts the lowest figure in the state at $75,640 a year, putting the spread between Alaska's highest- and lowest-paying cities at $5,240. Anchorage also holds the largest Surgical Tech workforce among the state's tracked cities, with 210 workers. That gap between cities is fairly narrow, and differences often come down to local cost of living rather than any one city being a stronger market.

Surgical Techs in Alaska typically earn $80,380 a year, a figure that has climbed 51% over the past decade and now sits well above the national typical pay. That growth reflects a state where pay for this role has moved steadily upward across nearly every year measured. For specific requirements, check Alaska's surgical technologist licensing or registry page, and compare local figures on the city pages for Anchorage, Fairbanks, and College.