Surgical Assistant or Technologist

Overview and Key Facts

Education

Associates Degree with Specialty Certification

Median Pay

$62,830

Job Growth

4.50%

(US Average)

Jobs in 2034

120,800

What Do They Do?

 

Help deliver a healthy baby by ensuring that the operating room is ready at any time for an emergency cesarean birth.

Save lives by making sure the surgeon has the right instrument at every step of the procedure.

Help a veteran get up and walking again by making sure their amputation surgery goes exactly as planned.

Make sure a grandfather's surgery goes smoothly so that he can get back to enjoying time with his family.

 

Overview Listen to this section

Every surgical procedure, whether minor or major, requires a team of detail-oriented professionals, including the surgical technologist. From cleaning and setting up surgical equipment to assisting the medical team, the surgical technologist helps each surgery run smoothly. Job opportunities for surgical technologists continue to grow with advances in surgical techniques and technology.

Hear about the daily tasks and joys of being a surgical technologist from the point of view of three surgical techs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1lqYbycLOU

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Surgical Assistant or Technologist?

1. Monitoring: ? Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
2. Active Listening: ? Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
3. Operation Monitoring: ? Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
4. Coordination: ? Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
5. Critical Thinking: ? Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

6. Speaking: ? Talking to others to convey information effectively.
7. Time Management: ? Managing one's own time and the time of others.
8. Active Learning: ? Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
9. Complex Problem Solving: ? Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
10. Equipment Maintenance: ? Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Core Tasks

• Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
• Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
• Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
• Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
• Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
• Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
• Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
• Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
• Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.
• Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation.
• Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery.
• Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card.
• Order surgical supplies.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Surgical Assistant or Technologist Jobs Grow by 2034?

Projected % Growth

Rapid growth
(10% or higher)

Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)

Faster than average
(5% - 7%)

About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)

Slower than average
(0% - 3%)

Decreasing

Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)

Surgical Assistant or Technologist jobs (4.50%)

Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming a Surgical Assistant or Technologist

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.

Math

Algebra 1

Geometry

Algebra 2

Pre-Calculus

Calculus

Statistics

Science

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

Environmental Science

Physiology

Bio-Medical / Biotech

IT &
Engineering

Computer Science

Applied Technology

Drafting & CAD Training

Core

English

Foreign Language

Business

Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

After finishing their surgical technician training program, many graduates go on take a certification exam. Not all states require passing a certification exam but doing so can increase opportunities for employment as it shows field expertise and career commitment. With on-the-job experience, many surgical technicians take on increasing responsibility. A related career is the surgical first assist. A surgical first assist has similar duties, but increased responsibility for some parts of the patient surgery such as clamping, cauterizing, suturing, injecting medications, and cutting tissue as directed. If interested, a surgical technician can be promoted to surgical first assist by either continuing their classroom education, or on-the-job training.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree

Post
high school credential

AA

Bachelor's

Master's

Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Associates Degree with Specialty Certification ?

To become a surgical technologist, a diploma or associate's degree is required from an accredited surgical technology program. Most surgical technology programs can be completed in twelve to twenty-four months. Students will learn the fundamentals of biology, anatomy, and microbiology, as well as sterilization techniques, infection prevention, procedural equipment setup, and how to safely care for the surgical patient.

Companies That Hire Surgical Assistant or Technologists

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Mayo Clinic
• Cleveland Clinic
• Aya Healthcare, Travel Healthcare Agency

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

We don't have any activities for this career. Check out the Project Ideas below.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

 

Add Favorite Remove Favorite

Bacterial Resistant Materials and the Best Disinfectant

Long (2-4 weeks) 

 

1 Science Project Idea Result

On the Job

Role Models

Watch this interview with Brooke from Springhill Memorial Hospital as she discusses her daily responsibilities and how she became a surgical technologist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnZxUHpEiU0

Amanda Deems shares her daily routine as a surgical technologist and what interested her in the career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J6WjCl-ntA

Nature of the Work

Surgical technologists, also referred to as scrub techs or operating room (OR) techs, have a critical role in every surgical procedure. Their day begins by preparing their assigned operating room with supplies and equipment needed for the procedure. The surgical technologist knows the purpose of each tool and piece of equipment and how to properly handle it and sterilize it. They prepare the sterile field (the procedural area that can only be touched by sterile hands and tools) by opening supplies, counting them, and positioning them in the order of when they will be needed during the operation.

The surgical technologist communicates well and knows the value of teamwork. They must notify their team of any problems found prior to or during the procedure, and anticipate and respond to any problems that could arise. The surgical technologist hands off equipment and tools to the surgeon and assists with holding open incisions and collecting specimens. At the end of an operation, the surgical technologist takes account of all supplies and equipment used, removes them for cleaning, and prepares the room again for the next surgery. Even if the same procedure is done multiple times a day, the patient will always be different and require the surgical technologist's special attention to detail.

Work Environment

Most surgical technologists work primarily in an operating room. They are among the first to arrive in the room and the last to leave when a procedure is completed. They are typically on their feet for most of the day, and occasionally work on-call where they need to come in after business hours to assist in emergency procedures.

More Information

Ask Questions

Do you have a specific question about a career as a Surgical Assistant or Technologist that isn't answered on this page? Post your question on the Science Buddies Ask an Expert Forum.

Additional Resources

• Association of Surgical Technologists
• The National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting

Sources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS (2024). Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), 2024 Edition, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
• National Center for O*NET Development O*Net Online (2024). National Center for O*Net Development. Retrieved August 25, 2025
• National Center for O*NET Development. (2022). 29-2055.00 - Surgical Technologists. O*NET OnLine. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021). Surgical Technologists: Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
• MTS. (2021). How to Become a Surgical Technologist. (O.R. Tech). Retrieved April 5, 2022.
• Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. (2022). Surgical First Assistant - Explore Health Careers - Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science. Retrieved April 5, 2022.