Surgical Technologist Jobs in Chicago, IL: Pay and Who's Hiring

In Chicago, the May 2025 median for surgical technologists is about $66.4K, within 3 percent of the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $62.7K to $79.0K.

Pay

The median is the middle of surgical technologists already employed, not a starting wage. The 25th is the lower quarter of that group. The 75th is what the upper quarter already earns.

Percentile	Metro	IL	U.S.
25th	$62,730	$60,160	$54,690
Median	$66,360	$64,650	$64,650
75th	$78,980	$77,670	$79,750

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Hiring difficulty and demand

Hiring difficulty

6.8

Metro employment

2,530

National growth, 2025 to 2035

National openings a year

7.1 thousand

This is the same score as the free check.

Who's hiring

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 9 campuses
Advocate Health and Hospitals, 8 campuses
Hines VA Hospital, 7 campuses
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 6 campuses
United Shockwave Services, 6 campuses
Ingalls Memorial Hospital, 5 campuses

Campuses on file in the provider extract, not live job ads.

License and training

Most states do not license surgical technologists, but several require certification or registration. Employers often want the CST from NBSTSA. Confirm the rule in your state.

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, surgical technologists

The work

You open the case, count instruments and sponges, and pass what the surgeon needs before they ask for it. Then you count everything again before the incision is closed.

Call and add-on cases are common in hospitals, including nights and weekends. Surgery centers usually run a tighter and steadier daytime schedule.

Nearby metros

Michigan City, IN · 43 miles
Kankakee, IL · 52 miles
Kenosha, WI · 53 miles
South Bend, IN · 74 miles

Related roles

One manager hiring: Hire a Surgical Technologist in Chicago.

Surgical Technologists hiring pages

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Questions

Who hires surgical technologists in Chicago?

Hospitals and surgery centers hire surgical technologists in Chicago. Organizations on file in the provider extract include Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Advocate Health and Hospitals, Hines VA Hospital.

Do I need certification as a surgical tech in Illinois?

Some states require it. Check the Illinois rule before you start in Chicago.

What should a surgery center in Chicago weigh when hiring?

Ask which cases the tech scrubs alone. Chicago has roughly a fifth fewer of these workers than a typical metro. This metro is within 3 percent of the Illinois median.