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What to Pay a Surgical Technologist in Portland, OR (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$64,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$56K–$74K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+3.8%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~26
Portland metro average
To hire a Surgical Technologist in Portland at market, plan on a base salary range of $56,000 to $74,000, with $64,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 26 days, expect to lead at $74K–$84K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Oregon does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your Surg Tech pay range in Portland

Three pay positions, modeled against current Portland market data. Pick the one that matches your comp philosophy and the role's strategic value.

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$49K–$56K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Portland average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$60.8K–$68K
Default for most Portland employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~26 days. A range width of ~30% (min $56,000 to max $74,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a Surg Tech's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$70K–$84K
Use for hard-to-fill specialties (wound care, IV therapy, bilingual), 24/7 SNF roles, or when speed-to-hire trumps budget. Reduces fill time by 35–45% on average.

Surg Tech salary percentile distribution in Portland, OR

Where the Portland market actually sits for Surg Tech base pay.

10th $49K
25th $56K
Median $64K
75th $74K
90th $84K

Most Portland employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($64,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $56,000 and a max of $74,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Oregon pay transparency compliance for Surg Tech job postings

What you must post when hiring a Surg Tech in Oregon.

Not required statewide. Oregon has no statewide pay transparency law. Posting a range is optional — but roughly half of healthcare employers in the market now disclose ranges voluntarily, and candidates increasingly skip postings without one.

For a Surg Tech role in Portland, a compliant good-faith range looks like $56,000 to $74,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $56,000–$74,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

Top Surg Tech employers in Portland — who you're competing against

Top healthcare employers hiring Surg Techs in the Portland metro and what they're posting.

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
OHSU Academic medical center $60K–$76K Very common ($8K–$15K)
Providence Health & Services Health system $60K–$76K Very common ($8K–$15K)
Legacy Health Health system $60K–$76K Very common ($8K–$15K)
Kaiser Permanente Northwest Integrated health system $60K–$76K Very common ($8K–$15K)
Randall Children's Hospital Pediatric specialty $60K–$76K Very common ($8K–$15K)

Surg Tech talent supply and hiring difficulty in Portland

How hard is it to fill a Surg Tech role in Portland.

~26
Avg Days to Fill
~896
Active Postings
~3,840
Portland Surg Tech Workforce
Tight
Supply : Demand

Portland surgical technologist market centered on hospital OR, ambulatory surgery centers, and specialty surgery hospitals. Cardiothoracic and orthopedic sub-specialties command premiums.

Skill premiums Surg Tech candidates command in Portland, OR

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
CST (Certified Surgical Technologist) Standard baseline Required
Cardiothoracic surgical tech +8–12% Very high
Orthopedic / joint replacement +6–10% High
Robotic surgery (da Vinci) certified +7–11% High and growing

Surg Tech total compensation in Portland — what candidates expect beyond base

Total rewards mix for Surg Techs in Portland. "Prevalence" reflects share of Portland disclosed-range postings including each element.

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Portland Postings
Base salary $64,000 (median) 100%
Call pay (standby + callback) $4–$8/hr standby + 1.5× hourly ~86%
Sign-on bonus $4K–$9K ~64%
CST certification pay +5–8% on base ~54%
Overtime opportunity $6K–$13K annualized ~88%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$78K–$92K —

Shift differentials and sign-on bonuses are typically table stakes rather than differentiators. Tuition reimbursement for LPN-to-RN bridge programs is increasingly the lever that wins competitive offers, particularly for early-career candidates.

Surg Tech pay by setting in Portland — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

Where the Surg Tech range splits by employer type in the Portland metro.

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
General hospital OR $61,000 $55K–$70K High
Cardiothoracic surgery $69,000 $61K–$78K Very high
Orthopedic / joint replacement $67,000 $59K–$76K High
Ambulatory surgery center $60,000 $54K–$68K Moderate
Specialty surgery hospital $65,000 $58K–$73K High

FAQ: hiring a Surgical Technologist in Portland, OR

Market median is $64,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $64,000 — typically $56,000 to $74,000. To lead the market, plan on $74K–$84K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Oregon. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $56,000–$74,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$57,000 falls below the Portland market median of $64,000 — roughly at the 25th–50th percentile locally. Acceptable in SNF or physician office settings where the candidate pool is deeper; below-market for hospital or specialty roles.
Roughly 64% of Portland surgical tech postings include a sign-on bonus ($4K–$9K). Cardiothoracic and robotic-surgery-certified techs command the top premiums.
Average fill time is approximately 26 days in the Portland metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($74K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($56K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Portland-metro posting volume: OHSU, Providence Health & Services, Legacy Health, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Randall Children's Hospital lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for Surg Tech in Portland — for example, $56,000 to $74,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Oregon has no pay transparency law covering internal or external postings. Note that remote roles open to candidates in states like Colorado or California may still trigger those states' disclosure requirements.

Related Surg Tech pay benchmarks — Oregon metros and nearby nursing roles

Related roles in Portland
Certified Nursing Assistant pay benchmark — Portland → Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist pay benchmark — Portland → Licensed Practical Nurse pay benchmark — Portland → Nurse Practitioner pay benchmark — Portland → Physical Therapist pay benchmark — Portland → Physician Assistant pay benchmark — Portland → Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Portland → Respiratory Therapist pay benchmark — Portland → Travel Nurse pay benchmark — Portland → Emergency Room Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Portland → ICU Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Portland → Operating Room Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Portland → All roles' pay benchmarks →

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Data refreshed May 15, 2026. Next scheduled update: August 15, 2026.
© 2026 BetterComp. Market data informational only — not legal advice.