Chicago anchors the Midwest's largest surgical market, with a cluster of academic medical centers and multi-hospital systems running high-volume ORs across the metro. The roles below are live scrub tech, OR tech, and CST openings in the area.
Curated by Matthew Sorensen, a healthcare recruiter with 500+ OR and skilled-trades placements and 15+ years matching techs to the right operating rooms.
Hospitals Hiring in Chicago
Chicago's OR hiring runs through a mix of downtown academic centers and large suburban systems, most of them staffing techs across nearly every specialty. In markets like this, the university hospitals are generally the most set up to onboard techs straight out of clinicals, while the big multi-site systems tend to move faster once you're already credentialed.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Downtown academic flagship running high surgical volume across most specialties.
Rush University Medical Center
Academic medical center with broad specialty coverage and regular scrub-tech hiring.
University of Chicago Medical Center
South Side academic system staffing ORs across a wide surgical caseload.
Advocate Health Care
Large multi-hospital system hiring techs across sites throughout the metro.
UI Health
University of Illinois academic system staffing ORs across specialties.
Surgical Tech Pay in Illinois
Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, surgical technologists in Illinois earn a median wage of about $60,450 a year, with a mean of $62,830. The range runs from roughly $43,160 at the 10th percentile to $78,870 at the 90th, near the national median. Chicago pay typically sits toward the higher end of the state range, but where you land depends on setting, specialty, and shift more than raw years, so run your own numbers with the salary estimator or the full salary guide.
Certification for Chicago Roles
Illinois doesn't require a state license, but most Chicago employers prefer or require the CST credential and an accredited-program background; it's often what separates a callback from a pass at the academic systems. See the state requirements page for the current rules.
Chicago Surgical Tech FAQ
Do I need to be certified to work as a surgical tech in Chicago?
Illinois doesn't require a state license, but most Chicago employers prefer or require the CST credential and an accredited-program background, and certification meaningfully improves access to the higher-paying roles.
Which Chicago hospitals hire the most surgical techs?
The high-volume academic and multi-site systems, Northwestern Memorial, Rush University Medical Center, University of Chicago Medical Center, Advocate Health Care, and UI Health, do the bulk of OR hiring across specialties.
Can a new-grad surgical tech get hired in Chicago?
Yes. University hospitals are generally the most equipped to bring on techs straight out of clinicals; see the new-grad hiring guide for how to position yourself.
