Cleveland is one of the Midwest's deepest surgical markets, anchored by Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals and their networks of community and outpatient sites. Current openings are below; the local hiring and pay detail follows.
Curated by Matthew Sorensen, 15+ years in executive recruiting and 500+ healthcare and skilled-trades placements, including OR and perioperative roles. The hiring notes on this page come from placing techs, not scraping listings.
Hospitals Hiring Surgical Techs in Cleveland
Cleveland's OR hiring runs through a few large systems, and each one is a network rather than a single building. Applying to the system, not just its flagship, opens community and suburban hospitals under the same employer, and the academic centers are generally the most set up to onboard new grads straight out of clinicals.
Nationally ranked system with exceptional cardiac, transplant, and neuro volume. The main campus offers the widest specialty exposure; Fairview and Hillcrest add community and suburban OR openings under the same employer.
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Academic medical center staffing ORs across most specialties, with a broad new-grad pipeline. The primary alternative to Cleveland Clinic for techs in the core.
MetroHealth Medical Center
The county safety-net system and a Level I trauma center, so it runs steady emergency and general surgical volume alongside its specialty programs.
St. Vincent Charity Medical Center
Established community hospital staffing ORs across general and specialty procedures. Typically a faster hiring cycle than the large academic systems.
Surgical Tech Salary in Cleveland
01$54,050 median annual
Ohio median wage for surgical technologists (BLS). Cleveland's large academic systems tend to sit at or above the state figure.
02$55,020 mean annual
Statewide average across all settings and experience levels.
03$38,700 to $74,760 range
10th to 90th percentile. Certification, specialty, and hospital-vs-ASC setting drive where you land in that spread.
Ohio's median sits close to but modestly below the national median for surgical techs, which Cleveland's low cost of living more than offsets on a take-home basis. For a setting- and specialty-adjusted estimate, use the surgical tech salary estimator or the salary guide.
Certification in Ohio
Ohio does not require state licensure to work as a surgical technologist, but Cleveland's major systems commonly prefer or require the CST credential and a degree from an accredited program. See the CST certification guide and Ohio's state requirements. New grads should read how to get hired with no experience.
Cleveland Surgical Tech FAQ
Do Cleveland hospitals require CST certification?
Ohio doesn't mandate it by law, but Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, and the other major systems commonly list CST as preferred or required. Being certified opens the widest set of Cleveland ORs and strengthens your position when the offer comes.
Which Cleveland employers hire new-grad surgical techs?
The large academic systems are generally the better bet for new grads. Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals run structured onboarding and rotate techs through specialties, so they're more equipped to bring you on straight out of clinicals than a lean community OR that needs you scrubbing immediately.
How does trauma or specialty volume affect the work?
It changes the case mix, not just the pay. A Level I trauma center like MetroHealth runs unpredictable emergency cases and call, while a nationally ranked cardiac or transplant program means deep, repetitive specialty exposure. Pick the setting that matches whether you want variety and call or to concentrate one specialty.
