Surgical Technologists Salary
The median pay for a surgical technologists in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL is $49,060/year ($23.59/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 84.82), which stretches that salary to about $57,840 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,000/month, or 29.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $49K get you in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Florence-Muscle Shoals’s Regional Price Parity (84.82). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About surgical technologists
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What this looks like in Florence-Muscle Shoals
Pay for surgical technologists in Florence-Muscle Shoals runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $65K. Rent runs $1,000/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 84.82 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 15% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for surgical technologists in metros near Florence-Muscle Shoals, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $52K | $56K |
| Huntsville | $52K | $56K |
| Montgomery | $49K | $55K |
| Mobile | $50K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
Entry-level surgical technologists (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Surgical Technologists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Surgical Technologists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $83K | +28% | 290 |
| Oregon | $81K | +26% | 1,090 |
| California | $81K | +26% | 11,920 |
| Massachusetts | $81K | +25% | 2,220 |
| Alaska | $80K | +24% | 310 |
| Minnesota | $80K | +24% | 1,770 |
| Connecticut | $80K | +24% | 1,220 |
| New York | $80K | +23% | 6,540 |
| District of Columbia | $78K | +20% | 340 |
| Washington | $77K | +20% | 2,510 |
| New Jersey | $77K | +19% | 2,780 |
| Colorado | $76K | +17% | 2,100 |
| Nevada | $75K | +17% | 1,110 |
| New Hampshire | $75K | +16% | 370 |
| Rhode Island | $74K | +15% | 240 |
| Wisconsin | $74K | +15% | 2,180 |
| Idaho | $73K | +12% | 1,100 |
| Arizona | $72K | +12% | 2,410 |
| Maryland | $69K | +7% | 1,880 |
| Virginia | $68K | +5% | 1,910 |
| Texas | $65K | +1% | 10,160 |
| Illinois | $65K | +0% | 3,570 |
| Indiana | $64K | -1% | 2,680 |
| Georgia | $64K | -1% | 4,380 |
| Nebraska | $64K | -1% | 770 |
| Michigan | $63K | -2% | 3,840 |
| Maine | $63K | -3% | 470 |
| Utah | $63K | -3% | 1,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | -3% | 4,490 |
| Florida | $62K | -3% | 9,120 |
| Ohio | $62K | -3% | 3,730 |
| Delaware | $62K | -4% | 340 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -4% | 2,680 |
| North Dakota | $62K | -5% | 370 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -5% | 1,940 |
| Missouri | $61K | -5% | 2,100 |
| Montana | $61K | -6% | 490 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -6% | 4,400 |
| Vermont | $61K | -6% | 140 |
| Kansas | $61K | -6% | 1,200 |
| Iowa | $61K | -6% | 950 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -6% | 3,310 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -6% | 1,440 |
| South Dakota | $60K | -7% | 600 |
| Wyoming | $59K | -9% | 210 |
| Arkansas | $57K | -11% | 1,640 |
| Louisiana | $57K | -11% | 2,230 |
| New Mexico | $52K | -20% | 540 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -23% | 1,110 |
| Alabama | $49K | -24% | 2,480 |
| West Virginia | $49K | -24% | 580 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track surgical technologists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florence-Muscle Shoals numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a surgical technologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 30.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,000/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for surgical technologists in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surgical technologists typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,193/month. At HUD’s $1,000/month FMR, rent would take 46% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is surgical technologist a high-paying job in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $49K here vs. $65K nationally. Cost of living is 15% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Florence-Muscle Shoals compare to the national average for surgical technologists?
Florence-Muscle Shoals pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 84.82), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — below the national median.
How much do surgical technologists make in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?
The median is $49,060 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,550, and experienced surgical technologists can clear $62,350. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,264/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,000/month, which eats 30.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a surgical technologists salary go in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
Florence-Muscle Shoals has a Regional Price Parity of 84.82 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median surgical technologists salary is worth about $57,840 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do surgical technologists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.