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Surgical technologist programs in North Carolina
North Carolina has 21 accredited campuses awarding surgical tech credentials. If you finish and work as a surgical technologist in North Carolina, expect to start around $45,990–$51,540 and reach a median of $60,920 with experience; the top quarter earn $68,520 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, North Carolina). Graduates of these North Carolina programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $44,497 in their first year, against $41,966 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What surgical technologists earn in North Carolina
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 4,400 employed in North Carolina. National median: $64,650.
Campuses in North Carolina, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: AshevilleCharlotteConcordDurhamElizabeth CityFayettevilleFlat RockHickoryJacksonvilleJamestownKinstonLumbertonPinehurstShelbySylvaTarboroThomasvilleWentworthWilmingtonWilson
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte | Public | 12 | $51,618 | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| Durham Technical Community College | Durham | Public | 12 | $50,767 | not reported | 45% | not reported |
| Cape Fear Community College | Wilmington | Public | 5 | $49,484 | not reported | 35% | not reported |
| Lenoir Community College | Kinston | Public | 6 | $48,874 | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| Catawba Valley Community College | Hickory | Public | 10 | $46,010 | not reported | 35% | not reported |
| Robeson Community College | Lumberton | Public | 10 | $45,075 | not reported | 33% | not reported |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College | Asheville | Public | 5 | $44,497 | $20,000 | 40% | not reported |
| Fayetteville Technical Community College | Fayetteville | Public | 17 | $43,735 | $11,192 | 24% | not reported |
| Sandhills Community College | Pinehurst | Public | 10 | $42,641 | not reported | 53% | not reported |
| Guilford Technical Community College | Jamestown | Public | 33 | $42,332 | $21,933 | 31% | not reported |
| Edgecombe Community College | Tarboro | Public | 4 | $42,012 | not reported | 37% | not reported |
| Rockingham Community College | Wentworth | Public | 13 | $40,300 | not reported | 35% | not reported |
| Southwestern Community College | Sylva | Public | 6 | $40,293 | not reported | 53% | not reported |
| Southeastern College-Charlotte | Charlotte | for-profit | 20 | not reported | not reported | 77% | not reported |
| Coastal Carolina Community College | Jacksonville | Public | 10 | not reported | not reported | 49% | not reported |
| Cleveland Community College | Shelby | Public | 8 | not reported | not reported | 32% | not reported |
| Davidson-Davie Community College | Thomasville | Public | 7 | not reported | not reported | 46% | not reported |
| Blue Ridge Community College | Flat Rock | Public | 6 | not reported | not reported | 50% | not reported |
| College of the Albemarle | Elizabeth City | Public | 6 | not reported | not reported | 35% | not reported |
| Cabarrus College of Health Sciences | Concord | non-profit | 5 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Wilson Community College | Wilson | Public | 3 | not reported | not reported | 27% | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.