Surgical Assistants
Surgical assistants and technologists help with surgical operations.
Is surgical assistants a good career?
It scores 19/100 and ranks #329 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.
Advantages
- Pays above the U.S. median wage ($66,800)
Possible tradeoffs
- No notable tradeoffs stand out in the wage and projection data.
What surgical assistants earn
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. surgical assistants earn between $50,170 and $88,010 a year.
Best-paying states
Best-paying metros
Live surgical assistants jobs
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- Typical education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Outlook
- Employment is projected to grow faster than average through 2034.
Education
Surgical assistants and technologists typically need a certificate or associate’s degree from an accredited program. Many community colleges and vocational schools, as well as some universities and hospitals, offer accredited surgical technology or surgical assisting programs.
Surgical assistants may complete a formal education program in surgical assisting. Others may work as surgical technologists and receive additional on-the-job training to become first assistants.
Surgical technology education includes courses such as anatomy, microbiology, and physiology. These workers also learn about the care and safety of patients, sterilization techniques, how to set up technical or robotic equipment, and preventing and controlling infections. In addition to classroom study, students gain hands-on experience in supervised clinical settings.
Licenses, certifications & registrations
Certification may be beneficial for finding a job, and some employers may require it. Surgical assistants and technologists may earn certification through credentialing organizations.
Certification typically requires completing an accredited formal education program or military training program and passing an exam. In addition, many jobs require that surgical assistants and technologists become certified in CPR or basic life support (BLS), or both.
Some states have regulations governing the work of surgical assistants and technologists.
Advancement
Surgical assistants and technologists may choose to advance to other healthcare occupations, such as registered nurse. Advancement to other healthcare occupations usually requires additional education, training, and/or certifications or licenses. A technologist may also choose to become a postsecondary teacher of health specialties.
Important qualities
Communication. To prevent infections or other complications, surgical assistants and technologists must relay any issues that arise during surgery to the other members of the healthcare team.
Detail oriented. Surgical assistants and technologists must pay close attention to their work. For example, surgical technologists need to provide the correct sterile equipment for surgeons during an operation.
Dexterity. Surgical assistants and technologists should be comfortable working with their hands. They must provide needed equipment quickly.
Integrity. Because they are trusted to help during surgical procedures, surgical assistants and technologists must be ethical and honest.
Listening skills. Responding to requests from surgeons and others on the surgical team requires the ability to listen to and understand spoken directions.
Physical stamina. Surgical assistants and technologists should be comfortable standing for extended periods.
Stress-management skills. Working in an operating room can be stressful. Surgical assistants and technologists should work well under pressure.
Related occupations
How much do surgical assistants make?
The national median wage is $66,800 a year, with the middle half earning between $50,170 and $88,010 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is surgical assistants a good career?
On the Jobs.best index it scores 19 of 100 and ranks #329 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +5.1% through 2034.
What education do you need to become a surgical assistant?
The typical entry-level education is postsecondary nondegree award.
Where do surgical assistants earn the most?
Among states, District of Columbia pays the highest median ($123,390). Local pay for every state and metro is below.