Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Surgical Technologist Salary in Atlanta, GA

Surgical Technologists in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area earn a median $67,570 a year — 5% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $53,481 take-home, or $4,457 a month.

Median salary
$67,570
$32.49 per hour
Typical range
$40,090 – $87,300
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Atlanta, GA
2,400
1.10× national concentration
▲4.6%
Pay trend: The median for surgical technologists in Atlanta, GA rose from $64,570 (May 2024) to $67,570 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 2.2%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median surgical technologist salary in Atlanta, GA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Surgical Technologist in Atlanta, GA
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$53,481
per year · effective tax rate 20.9%
$4,457Monthly
$2,228Twice a month
$2,057Every 2 weeks
$25.71Hourly
  • Federal income tax$6,035
  • Social Security (6.2%)$4,189
  • Medicare (1.45%)$980
  • Georgia income tax$2,884
  • Take-home pay$53,481

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 5.19% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Surgical Technologist pay by experience in Atlanta, GA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$40,090$19.27$32,934$2,745
25th percentile$53,500$25.72$43,013$3,584
Median (50th)$67,570$32.49$53,481$4,457
75th percentile$80,230$38.57$61,731$5,144
90th percentile (top earners)$87,300$41.97$66,337$5,528

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Georgia resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $67,570 buys in Atlanta, GA

Prices in Atlanta, GA are 0.1% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.11× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median surgical technologist's $53,481 take-home pay has the buying power of $53,450 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,646
37% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,806
41% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$2,811
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Surgical Technologist jobs are about as common in Atlanta, GA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.10).

Best-paying cities for surgical technologists, adjusted for cost of living

Atlanta, GA ranks #5 of 6 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Dallas, TX $79,990$65,103$63,152
2Houston, TX $71,050$58,814$59,631
3New York, NY $84,120$64,063$56,913
4Los Angeles, CA $81,580$61,804$54,421
5Atlanta, GA $67,570$53,481$53,450
6Chicago, IL $66,360$52,360$50,543

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 6 metros →

About the job: surgical technologists

Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeons’ assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.

Typical education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
+5.0% (faster than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a surgical technologist make in Atlanta, GA?

The median surgical technologist salary in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area is $67,570 a year, or about $32.49 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $53,500 and $80,230.

What is a surgical technologist’s take-home pay in Atlanta, GA?

On the median $67,570 salary, a single filer living in Georgia takes home about $53,481 a year ($4,457 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,884 in Georgia taxes in 2026.

Is Atlanta, GA a good place to work as a surgical technologist?

Pay here is 5% above the national median of $64,650. Local prices are 0.1% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $53,450 would in a typical U.S. city. Atlanta, GA ranks #5 of 6 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a surgical technologist afford rent in Atlanta, GA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Atlanta, GA is $1,646 a month ($1,806 for two bedrooms) — 37% of a median surgical technologist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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