How Much Does a Surgical Tech Make in New Jersey in 2026?

A typical Surgical Tech in New Jersey earns about $37.12 per hour ($77,200 per year), according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). That works out to roughly $6,433 a month and $1,485 a week, both calculated from the annual figure. Pay varies by hospital, surgical center, and years of experience. New Jersey's overall pay for this role sits among the higher-paying states in the country.

New Jersey pay runs 19% above the national figure of $64,650 a year, according to the same wage data. That gap places the state 11th out of 51 ranked states for Surgical Tech pay. About 2,780 Surgical Techs work in New Jersey, a workforce large enough to support steady pay data across hospitals and surgical centers statewide.

Entry-level positions in New Jersey typically offer around $23.21 an hour, or about $48,270 a year, for Surgical Techs who are new to the operating room. Pay for techs with a couple of years of experience runs closer to $30.98 an hour, or $64,440 a year, as they take on more procedures and specialties. Most Surgical Techs see their pay move toward the state's typical figure of $77,200 within a few years of steady hospital or surgical center work.

Experienced Surgical Techs in New Jersey often earn upwards of $41.20 an hour, or $85,700 a year, especially in busy surgical centers. The top 10% of earners make over $48.31 an hour, or $100,490 a year. That leaves an entry-to-top spread of $52,220 a year between the newest techs and the most experienced ones. Setting, specialty, and city all play a part in where an individual tech lands within that range.

New Jersey Surgical Tech pay rose from $48,940 in 2015 to $77,200 in 2025, a gain of $28,260. That's a 58% increase over the decade, according to the same wage data. Pay climbed nearly every year across that stretch, with the sharpest gains coming after 2021 as hospitals and surgical centers raised pay for operating room teams.

Nationally, Surgical Tech pay rose 46% over the same ten years, so New Jersey's climb outpaced the country as a whole. The state's larger dollar and percentage gains came alongside broader wage growth across New Jersey's hospital and surgical center employers. For someone starting out now, that trend shows pay has moved up steadily in the state, though nothing about future pay is guaranteed.

Jersey City pays the most in New Jersey, with Surgical Techs typically earning $84,120 a year ($40.44 an hour), a figure that also applies to the Newark metro area. That's 9% above the statewide figure of $77,200. Trenton and Princeton follow at $70,610 a year, still well above the entry-level figures seen elsewhere in the state.

Pay runs lowest in the Easton-Bethlehem area, where Surgical Techs typically earn $62,250 a year ($29.93 an hour), a $21,870 gap from Jersey City. Jersey City also holds the largest Surgical Tech workforce in the state, with 6,320 workers reported there. These figures cover each city's full metro area, and lower-paying areas generally carry a lower cost of living too.

New Jersey's Surgical Tech pay compares closely with New York, where techs typically earn $79,550 a year, just 3% higher than New Jersey. Pennsylvania and Delaware both pay less, at $62,680 and $62,250 a year, 19% below New Jersey in each case. Surgical Techs moving between these states can often transfer or endorse an existing certification rather than starting the credentialing process over.

Surgical Techs in New Jersey typically earn $77,200 a year, a figure that has climbed 58% since 2015. Pay tends to run highest in Jersey City and Newark and lowest in the Easton-Bethlehem area, with experience and setting accounting for much of the difference within the state. Readers weighing a move or a new role can check New Jersey's surgical technologist licensing and registry requirements, along with city-specific pay pages, for more local detail.