
.jpg)
Surgical Technologists
Other names for this job might include Anesthesia Technician, Certified Surgical Tech/First Assistant, Certified Surgical Technician, Certified Surgical Technologist (CST), Operating Room Surgical Technician (OR St), Operating Room Technician (OR Tech), Operating Room Technologist (OR Tech), Scrub Technician, Surgeon’s Assistant, Surgery Technician (Surgery Tech)
- $45940Salary
- 77%Job satisfaction
- MediumBecoming one
- HighJob growth
A
Surgical Technologists: Know It All In 1 Minute
Table of Contents
In this career summary, you will find out what the job of A Surgical Technologist is about and what it is like.
After reading this, you will have a good idea on what the job is about and decide if this is the right career for you.
Job description
Surgical Technologists assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeon’s assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.
- 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.
- Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
Become one
Interested in becoming A Surgical Technologist? Find the right schools that can help you to become one. This service is free thanks to our sponsors.
Click to start becoming a Surgical TechnologistSalary
Surgical Technologists with little to no experience tend to make between $31410 and $36340 while the more experienced ones make over $54000 per year.
Top 5 paying states | Hourly | Annual |
---|---|---|
NV | $29.22 | $60770 |
CA | $28.55 | $59380 |
DC | $26.3 | $54700 |
HI | $26.17 | $54440 |
CT | $25.66 | $53380 |
1 of the easiest ways to increase your salary as A Surgical Technologist is to move to a higher paying state like NV. Right now, the highest paying states for Surgical Technologists are NV, CA, DC, HI and CT.
However a higher pay at NV doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at NV might be 2x higher than where you are currently at now.
3 other factors that can increase your salary as A Surgical Technologist is the degree you hold, the industry you work in and lastly the company you work for (bigger companies like the Fortune 500 companies tend to pay more).
Requirements
We asked other Surgical Technologists what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a Associates degree followed by Certificate.
Other than that we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.
Pathology/Pathologist Assistant |
Surgical Technology/Technologist |
Sterile Processing Technology/Technician |
Another popular question from our readers is what makes A Surgical Technologist successful or would they be good in this career.
Well, we found that most successful Surgical Technologists have these 5 skillsets.
Monitoring |
Active Listening |
Operation Monitoring |
Speaking |
Critical Thinking |
In addition to that, 1 common characteristic among successful Surgical Technologists is they are good at Attention to Detail. Here are the top 5 common characteristics.
Attention to Detail |
Dependability |
Self Control |
Integrity |
Stress Tolerance |
Pros and Cons
Here are some reasons why you should and shouldn’t choose A Surgical Technologist as your career.
PROS |
---|
Suitable for people who likes practical and handson work |
Suitable for people who values relationships between coworkers and customers and wants to work in a friendly noncompetitive environment |
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors. |
It is not too difficult to get into this career. Previous workrelated skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career. |
Normal working hours (40 hours per week) |
CONS |
---|
Not suitable for people who likes to work with designs |
Salary is below average |
There will be pros and cons for all jobs. The point is how much do the pros outweigh the cons to you.
A pro to you might be a con to Bob. A pro to Bob might be a con to you. We suggest reading about this career framework that can help you to find out what type of careers are right for you.
What is the job like
On a normal working week Surgical Technologists work 40 hours per week.
77% of Surgical Technologists said they were satisfied with their job and 83% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.
Is this right for me
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the careers require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.
How we can help
Start your journey to be A Surgical Technologist
Yes, I'm sure
Trusted by over 50,000 fans
[easy-followers title=”” nofollow=”1″ total_type=”text_before” columns=”2″ template=”tinycolor”]Other Careers Like This





Help Others Out
Learn more about Surgical Technologists
Summary (You are here) | |
Job Description | |
Salary | |
Requirements | |
Is This Right For Me |
Study To Be A Surgical Technologist
Related to Surgical Technologists Career Information
Surgical Technologists job description, Surgical Technologists salary, Surgical Technologists information, what is the job of a Surgical Technologist like, pros and cons about Surgical Technologists, colleges and universities for Surgical Technologists, is Surgical Technologists the right career for me, Medium careers to get into, careers in Healthcare and Medical
Additional resources
http://www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/surgical-technologists.htmhttp://www.ast.org/
http://www.nbstsa.org/
https://www.ncctinc.com/ [schema type=”review” url=”https://www.owlguru.com/” name=”OwlGuru.com” description=”OwlGuru.com is a career and college finder site. We help students to find a career and college that is right for them.” rev_name=”Surgical Technologists” rev_body=”Surgical Technologists assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeon’s assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.” author=”Stanley Tan” user_review=”4.8″ min_review=”1″ max_review=”5″ ]