How Much Does a Surgical Tech Make in New Orleans, LA in 2026?
Typical pay for Surgical Techs in New Orleans, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Louisiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · New Orleans · Metairie metro area
A typical Surgical Tech in New Orleans, Louisiana earns $28.20 per hour, or $58,660 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,888 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $35,640, and the top 10% of earners make over $75,600.
That pay is 2% above the Louisiana figure of $57,370 and 9% below the national figure of $64,650. New Orleans ranks 5th of 10 metro areas in Louisiana for Surgical Tech pay. About 590 Surgical Techs work in the New Orleans · Metairie area. New Orleans is part of the New Orleans · Metairie metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Metairie share these figures.
Surgical Tech pay in New Orleans at a glance
- Typical pay is $28.20 an hour, or $58,660 a year.
- That is 2% above the Louisiana figure, ranking 5th of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $35,640; the top 10% make over $75,600.
- Typical pay rose +47% from 2015 to 2025, against +49% for Louisiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Surgical Tech make in New Orleans?
Pay in New Orleans runs from entry-level positions at around $17.14 an hour to more than $36.35 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Louisiana and national figures.
Surgical Tech pay by career stage in New Orleans
| Career stage | New Orleans | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $35,640$17.14 an hour | $36,580$17.59 an hour | $45,940$22.09 an hour |
| First years | $48,890$23.51 an hour | $47,410$22.79 an hour | $54,690$26.29 an hour |
| Typical Surgical Tech | $58,660$28.20 an hour | $57,370$27.58 an hour | $64,650$31.08 an hour |
| Experienced | $64,720$31.11 an hour | $62,790$30.19 an hour | $79,750$38.34 an hour |
| Top 10% | $75,600$36.35 an hour | $74,650$35.89 an hour | $96,940$46.61 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the New Orleans · Metairie area as BLS defines it
Surgical Tech pay growth in New Orleans
Typical (median) annual wage for Surgical Techs in the New Orleans · Metairie area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Surgical Tech pay in New Orleans was $40,030 a year. By 2025 it had reached $58,660, a change of +47%, compared with +49% for Louisiana over the same years.
How New Orleans compares with other Louisiana cities
Hammond pays Surgical Techs the most in Louisiana at $61,090 a year, $2,430 more than New Orleans. The lowest-paying area in the state is Alexandria at $50,960.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs New Orleans | Surgical Techs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hammond | $61,090 | $29.37 | +4% | 60 |
| 2 | Baton Rouge | $60,230 | $28.96 | +3% | 470 |
| 3 | Slidell metro incl. Covington · Mandeville | $59,100 | $28.42 | +1% | 170 |
| 4 | Lake Charles | $58,850 | $28.29 | 0% | 60 |
| 5 | New Orleans metro incl. Metairie | $58,660 | $28.20 | this city | 590 |
| 6 | Monroe | $56,790 | $27.31 | -3% | 90 |
| 7 | Lafayette | $53,770 | $25.85 | -8% | 220 |
| 8 | Thibodaux metro incl. Bayou Cane · Houma | $52,780 | $25.38 | -10% | 80 |
| 9 | Bossier City metro incl. Shreveport | $51,770 | $24.89 | -12% | 230 |
| 10 | Alexandria | $50,960 | $24.50 | -13% | 100 |
Every metro area in Louisiana with Surgical Tech wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Louisiana typical pay $57,370
Is New Orleans a good place to work as a Surgical Tech?
Surgical Techs in New Orleans earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $58,660 a year, 9% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the New Orleans · Metairie area, about 1.3 are Surgical Tech positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 0.8. That makes the local economy more reliant on Surgical Techs than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Surgical Tech make in New Orleans, LA?
- A typical Surgical Tech in New Orleans earns $58,660 a year, or $28.20 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $35,640 and the top 10% earn over $75,600.
- How much does a Surgical Tech make an hour in New Orleans?
- Typical hourly pay for Surgical Techs in New Orleans is $28.20. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $17.14, and the top 10% earn over $36.35 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Surgical Tech in New Orleans?
- Entry-level Surgical Tech positions in New Orleans typically offer around $17.14 an hour, or $35,640 a year.
- Is Surgical Tech pay in New Orleans higher than in the rest of Louisiana?
- New Orleans pay is 2% above the Louisiana figure of $57,370 a year, ranking 5th of 10 metro areas in the state. Hammond pays the most in Louisiana at $61,090.