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Surgical Technologists

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)	Projected Growth (2023-2033)
National Statistics	$62,830	7200	5.8%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$62,830

Median Wage (USD, 2023)

7200

Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)

5.8%

Projected Growth (2023-2033)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)

Related Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Detailed Work Activities

Maintain sterile operative fields.
Protect patients or staff members using safety equipment.
Position patients for treatment or examination.
Clean medical equipment or facilities.
Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
Order medical supplies or equipment.
Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
Assist healthcare practitioners during surgery.
Assist healthcare practitioners during surgery.
Maintain sterile operative fields.
Assist healthcare practitioners during surgery.
Sterilize medical equipment or instruments.
Clean medical equipment or facilities.
Prepare biological specimens for laboratory analysis.
Apply bandages, dressings, or splints.
Assist healthcare practitioners during surgery.
Adjust settings or positions of medical equipment.
Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
Monitor facilities or operational systems.
Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
Record patient medical histories.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

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.
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.
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.
Observe patients' vital signs to assess physical condition.
Maintain supply of fluids, such as plasma, saline, blood, or glucose, for use during operations.
Maintain files and records of surgical procedures.

Work Styles

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

For more information on this career visit: https://explorehealthcareers.org/careers/technologists-and-technicians/surgical-technologist/

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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