Occupations · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

Surgical Assistants

Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons. May, in accordance with state laws, help surgeons to make incisions and close surgical sites, manipulate or remove tissues, implant surgical devices or drains, suction the surgical site, place catheters, clamp or cauterize vessels or tissue, and apply dressings to surgical site.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 29-9093.00

$60,290median annual wage, May 2024

22,860people employed, United States

▲ 5.1%projected change, 2024→2034

1,600openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 25% between 2021 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	$51,930	1,010
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$58,240	1,010
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$83,660	720
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$61,500	560
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$52,730	540
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$46,930	480
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$88,910	450
Richmond, VA	$49,190	440
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$49,570	420
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$63,210	300
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC	$98,910	290
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$65,150	270

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: Postsecondary nondegree award · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

Verify the identity of patient or operative site.
Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
Coordinate or participate in the positioning of patients, using body stabilizing equipment or protective padding to provide appropriate exposure for the procedure or to protect against nerve damage or circulation impairment.
Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field.
Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.
Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers.
Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures.
Discuss with surgeon the nature of the surgical procedure, including operative consent, methods of operative exposure, diagnostic or laboratory data, or patient-advanced directives or other needs.
Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment.
Assess skin integrity or other body conditions upon completion of the procedure to determine if damage has occurred from body positioning.
Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Active Listening4.0

Speaking3.8

Monitoring3.6

Critical Thinking3.6

Reading Comprehension3.6

Learning Strategies3.1

Writing3.1

Active Learning3.0

Science2.6

Mathematics2.5

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

MEDITECH software●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft PowerPoint●Electronic medical record EMR softwareNursing documentation softwarePatient scheduling softwarePatient tracking softwareSupply documentation softwareSurgery workflow communication software

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

3 / 5Medium preparation — vocational training or an associate degree, plus 1–2 years of work.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Exposed to Disease or Infections+2.6 above average

Exposed to Radiation+2.3 above average

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets+2.0 above average

Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection+1.8 above average

Exposed to Hazardous Conditions+1.8 above average

Physical Proximity+1.5 above average

Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions−1.3 below average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2015-07

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)25%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.16%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)15%

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)13%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2015-07

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Realistic5.7

Conventional4.4

Social3.8

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Service Orientation3.4

Coordination3.4

Complex Problem Solving3.2

Operations Monitoring3.2

Social Perceptiveness3.1

Judgment and Decision Making3.1

Time Management2.9

Operation and Control2.9

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Medicine and DentistryCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageBiologyEducation and TrainingComputers and Electronics

Abilities it leans on

Oral ComprehensionArm-Hand SteadinessNear VisionFinger DexteritySpeech ClarityOral Expression

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

Surgical AideFirst AssistantSurgery AssistantSurgery TechnicianSurgical AssistantClinical AssistantOral Surgery AssistantPerioperative AssistantSurgical First AssistantOperating Room AssistantSurgical Dental AssistantOperating Room TechnicianSurgical Medical AssistantSurgical Services Assistant

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2020

Comparing O*NET release 25.1 (2020-11-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

No longer listed 2

−Palm OS−Word processing software

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

Surgical AideFirst AssistantSurgery AssistantSurgical AssistantSurgery TechnicianClinical AssistantAssistant-at-SurgeryOral Surgery AssistantPerioperative AssistantOperating Room AssistantSurgical First AssistantSurgical Dental Assistant

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
doctors' surgery assistant	3256.1	close
anaesthetic technician	3259.1	close
clinical perfusion scientist	3211.1	close
nurse assistant	5321.1.1	close
healthcare assistant	5321.1	close

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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