How Much Does a Surgical Tech Make in West Virginia in 2026?

A typical Surgical Tech in West Virginia earns about $23.61 per hour ($49,110 per year), according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). That works out to roughly $4,092 a month and $944 a week, calculated from the annual figure. Pay varies by hospital, surgical center, and city, but this figure represents typical pay across the state.

West Virginia's typical pay runs 24% below the national figure of $64,650 a year, placing the state 51st out of 51 states ranked for Surgical Tech pay. Only $31.08 an hour is typical nationally, compared with $23.61 in West Virginia. Lower pay here tends to track the state's lower cost of living. About 580 Surgical Techs work across West Virginia, a small but steady workforce.

Entry-level Surgical Techs in West Virginia typically start around $18.27 an hour, or about $38,010 a year, with new hires often landing near $39,520 as they gain initial experience. Pay tends to move toward the state's typical figure of $49,110 within the first few years on the job. Newcomers usually start in hospital settings, where training and supervision are more readily available.

Experienced Surgical Techs in West Virginia often earn upwards of $29.62 an hour, and the top 10% make over $34.62 an hour ($72,010 a year). The gap between entry-level and top-tier pay runs about $34,000 a year. Setting, years of experience, and city all play a role in where someone lands within that range, with specialized surgical centers and higher-paying cities like Martinsburg tending to pay more.

West Virginia's typical Surgical Tech pay has climbed over the past decade, from $37,110 in 2015 to $49,110 in 2025. That is a gain of $12,000, or 32%, over ten years. Pay stayed mostly flat through the late 2010s before rising sharply starting in 2022.

Nationally, typical Surgical Tech pay rose 46% over the same ten years, outpacing West Virginia's gain. Pay for the job has moved up in West Virginia, though not as quickly as the national trend. Someone starting as a Surgical Tech in the state today enters at a higher wage than someone who started a decade ago, though there's no guarantee of how pay will move from here.

Pay runs highest in Martinsburg, where Surgical Techs typically earn $55,980 a year ($26.91 an hour), about 14% above the state figure. Morgantown follows at $49,390 a year, close to the statewide typical pay. These figures reflect each city's full metro area rather than the city alone.

Charleston pays the least among West Virginia's tracked cities, with Surgical Techs typically earning $49,110 a year, putting the spread between the highest- and lowest-paying cities at $6,870. Huntington employs the most Surgical Techs of any city in the state, with 160 workers earning a typical $51,070 a year. Cities with higher pay often carry higher living costs, so take-home value can look more even than the raw numbers suggest.

West Virginia's neighbors generally pay more. Maryland leads at $68,970 a year, 40% higher than West Virginia, and Virginia follows at $67,580, about 38% higher. Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky also pay more, ranging from 23% to 28% above the state figure. Surgical Techs weighing a move across state lines can often transfer or endorse their credentials into a nearby state rather than starting the licensing process over.

Surgical Techs in West Virginia typically earn $49,110 a year, up 32% over the past decade from $37,110 in 2015. Pay remains below the national figure and trails every neighboring state, though it has moved steadily upward. Readers considering the job should check West Virginia's licensing or registry requirements for Surgical Techs and look at city-level pages for local pay figures before deciding where to work.