CVOR Surgical Technologist Salary Guide

An option is to obtain the CST credential if you don't have one. Many employers are willing to offer higher wages to employees who demonstrate their competence with a nationally recognized certification.

You may also be able to increase your earnings by going back to school for a bachelor's degree in health sciences. According to the 2022 Education Pays report from the BLS, the median weekly salary for workers in any field with 4-year degrees exceeds the median for workers with 2-year degrees by 42.5%. Healthcare employers typically follow this trend, with a preference for medical professionals with higher levels of education.

Staff cardiovascular operating room (CVOR) surgical technologist jobs paid an average of $28.66 per hour, according to Vivian Health's salary data for the week ending May 13, 2023. Multiplying the hourly rate by 40 hours works out to a weekly salary of $1,146.40 for a standard workweek.

According to 2022 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for surgical technologists should increase by 6% between 2021 and 2031, a net of 6,500 new jobs. As baby boomers age, they’ll likely need more surgical procedures, increasing the demand for healthcare services.

Also, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the prevalence of heart disease increases, medical facilities need more CVOR surgical techs to assist with cardiovascular procedures.

According to BLS data from May 2021, hospitals account for 72% of all surgical technologist employment. Physician offices and outpatient care centers were tied for having the second-highest level of employment, with about 11% of surgical technologists working in each of these settings. Only 2% of surgical technologists work for dental offices.

Regarding pay rates among the different facility types, outpatient care centers had the highest median salary for surgical technologists, per BLS data from May 2021. Physician offices were in second place, with a median salary about $6,000 below wages at outpatient care centers. Hospitals and dental offices paid nearly the same rate, with a difference of just $240 between the median salaries for each employment setting.

CVOR surgical technologist pay is about the same or a little lower than similar healthcare jobs per salary data on Vivian Health from May 13, 2023. It depends on whether you accept travel assignments or work a staff job. Per this data, staff cardiac catheterization technologists earned an average of $28.66 per hour, the same as staff CVOR surgical technologists. However, travel cardiac catheterization technologists made more than travel CVOR surgical techs, averaging $2,639 per week compared to $2,335 per week.