How Much Does a Surgical Tech Make in Buffalo, NY in 2026?
Typical pay for Surgical Techs in Buffalo, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across New York.
BLS OES May 2025 · Buffalo · Cheektowaga metro area
A typical Surgical Tech in Buffalo, New York earns $37.23 per hour, or $77,440 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,453 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $61,030, and the top 10% of earners make over $134,890.
That pay is 3% below the New York figure of $79,550 and 20% above the national figure of $64,650. Buffalo ranks 3rd of 8 metro areas in New York for Surgical Tech pay. About 560 Surgical Techs work in the Buffalo · Cheektowaga area. Buffalo is part of the Buffalo · Cheektowaga metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Cheektowaga share these figures.
Surgical Tech pay in Buffalo at a glance
- Typical pay is $37.23 an hour, or $77,440 a year.
- That is 3% below the New York figure, ranking 3rd of 8 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $61,030; the top 10% make over $134,890.
- Typical pay rose +47% from 2015 to 2025, against +58% for New York as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Surgical Tech make in Buffalo?
Pay in Buffalo runs from entry-level positions at around $29.34 an hour to more than $64.85 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the New York and national figures.
Surgical Tech pay by career stage in Buffalo
| Career stage | Buffalo | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $61,030$29.34 an hour | $53,680$25.81 an hour | $45,940$22.09 an hour |
| First years | $67,640$32.52 an hour | $64,390$30.96 an hour | $54,690$26.29 an hour |
| Typical Surgical Tech | $77,440$37.23 an hour | $79,550$38.25 an hour | $64,650$31.08 an hour |
| Experienced | $81,020$38.95 an hour | $98,140$47.18 an hour | $79,750$38.34 an hour |
| Top 10% | $134,890$64.85 an hour | $105,330$50.64 an hour | $96,940$46.61 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Buffalo · Cheektowaga area as BLS defines it
Surgical Tech pay growth in Buffalo
Typical (median) annual wage for Surgical Techs in the Buffalo · Cheektowaga area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Surgical Tech pay in Buffalo was $52,640 a year. By 2025 it had reached $77,440, a change of +47%, compared with +58% for New York over the same years.
How Buffalo compares with other New York cities
New York pays Surgical Techs the most in New York at $84,120 a year, $6,680 more than Buffalo. The lowest-paying area in the state is Rochester at $60,780.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Buffalo | Surgical Techs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $84,120 | $40.44 | +9% | 6,320 |
| 2 | Ithaca | $77,760 | $37.38 | 0% | 30 |
| 3 | Buffalo metro incl. Cheektowaga | $77,440 | $37.23 | this city | 560 |
| 4 | Kiryas Joel metro incl. Newburgh · Poughkeepsie | $75,390 | $36.24 | -3% | 180 |
| 5 | Albany metro incl. Schenectady · Troy | $64,070 | $30.81 | -17% | 280 |
| 6 | Syracuse | $63,270 | $30.42 | -18% | 310 |
| 7 | Utica metro incl. Rome | $60,860 | $29.26 | -21% | 60 |
| 8 | Rochester | $60,780 | $29.22 | -22% | 340 |
Every metro area in New York with Surgical Tech wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · New York typical pay $79,550
Is Buffalo a good place to work as a Surgical Tech?
Surgical Techs in Buffalo earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $77,440 a year, 20% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Buffalo · Cheektowaga area, about 1.0 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 Buffalo, NY?
- A typical Surgical Tech in Buffalo earns $77,440 a year, or $37.23 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $61,030 and the top 10% earn over $134,890.
- How much does a Surgical Tech make an hour in Buffalo?
- Typical hourly pay for Surgical Techs in Buffalo is $37.23. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $29.34, and the top 10% earn over $64.85 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Surgical Tech in Buffalo?
- Entry-level Surgical Tech positions in Buffalo typically offer around $29.34 an hour, or $61,030 a year.
- Is Surgical Tech pay in Buffalo higher than in the rest of New York?
- Buffalo pay is 3% below the New York figure of $79,550 a year, ranking 3rd of 8 metro areas in the state. New York pays the most in New York at $84,120.