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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 surgeons' assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.
Other titles employers use
Certified Surgical Technician · Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) · Operating Room Surgical Technician (OR St) · Operating Room Technician (OR Tech) · Operating Room Technologist (OR Tech) · Surgical Scrub Technician · Surgical Scrub Technologist (Surgical Scrub Tech) · Surgical Technician
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
- Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
- Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical, organizing and helping work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Operations Monitoring
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Education and Training
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Near Vision
- Speech Recognition
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 5.0 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 4.3 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.5 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.7 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a postsecondary certificate. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A certificate or some college 54%
- A two-year degree 41%
- High school or less 5%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Medical software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Operating system software
- Word processing software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Electronic mail software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 12,400
- Job openings each year
- 830
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 11.7%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 12,400 | 830 | 11.7% |
| Texas | 10,620 | 730 | 15.4% |
| Florida | 10,000 | 670 | 12.4% |
| New York | 7,890 | 170 | 27.3% |
| Michigan | 4,150 | 250 | 2.2% |
| Ohio | 4,030 | 250 | 2.5% |
| North Carolina | 3,960 | 280 | 17.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 3,890 | 240 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 3,850 | 270 | 16.0% |
| Illinois | 3,810 | 230 | 3.3% |
| Arizona | 2,990 | 220 | 23.6% |
| New Jersey | 2,970 | 190 | 8.4% |
| Indiana | 2,890 | 180 | 5.5% |
| Wisconsin | 2,730 | 180 | 7.1% |
| Washington | 2,580 | 210 | 14.7% |
| Alabama | 2,510 | 160 | 6.4% |
| Oklahoma | 2,390 | 150 | 3.5% |
| Louisiana | 2,350 | 150 | 7.3% |
| South Carolina | 2,310 | 150 | 6.0% |
| Maryland | 2,290 | 150 | 7.5% |
| Kentucky | 2,280 | 150 | 5.6% |
| Missouri | 2,210 | 140 | 8.9% |
| Tennessee | 2,110 | 140 | 9.9% |
| Colorado | 2,010 | 140 | 18.9% |
| Virginia | 1,900 | 120 | 3.3% |
| Minnesota | 1,700 | 110 | 4.9% |
| Oregon | 1,650 | 110 | 12.2% |
| Utah | 1,580 | 120 | 28.5% |
| Arkansas | 1,540 | 100 | 8.5% |
| Connecticut | 1,360 | 90 | 11.5% |
| Mississippi | 1,240 | 80 | 5.1% |
| Nevada | 1,220 | 90 | 17.3% |
| Puerto Rico | 1,200 | 80 | 15.4% |
| Kansas | 1,040 | 70 | 3.0% |
| Idaho | 1,020 | 70 | 20.0% |
| Nebraska | 970 | 60 | 6.6% |
| Iowa | 950 | 60 | 8.0% |
| Massachusetts | 870 | 60 | 7.4% |
| New Mexico | 820 | 60 | 17.1% |
| South Dakota | 610 | 40 | 17.3% |
| West Virginia | 600 | 40 | — |
| Montana | 530 | 40 | 15.2% |
| New Hampshire | 510 | 30 | 6.3% |
| Maine | 480 | 30 | — |
| Delaware | 460 | 30 | 15.0% |
| North Dakota | 360 | 20 | 12.5% |
| Wyoming | 300 | 20 | 15.4% |
| District of Columbia | 290 | 20 | 3.6% |
| Alaska | 240 | 20 | 14.3% |
| Rhode Island | 190 | 10 | — |
| Vermont | 90 | 10 | 12.5% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Ohio State University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 548
- Admit rate
- 51%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Boise State University
- Degrees each year
- 272
- Admit rate
- 84%
- Annual cost after aid
- $21,000
University of Connecticut
- Degrees each year
- 228
- Admit rate
- 54%
- Annual cost after aid
- $21,000
Midwestern State University
- Degrees each year
- 218
- Admit rate
- 87%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
Oregon Institute of Technology
- Degrees each year
- 202
- Admit rate
- 92%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 200
- Admit rate
- 88%
- Annual cost after aid
- $22,000
Cleveland State University
- Degrees each year
- 176
- Admit rate
- 95%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- Degrees each year
- 163
- Admit rate
- 88%
- Annual cost after aid
- $12,000
Compare every college offering allied health and medical assisting services