Occupations · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

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.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 29-2055.00

$62,830median annual wage, May 2024

113,890people employed, United States

▲ 4.5%projected change, 2024→2034

7,000openings 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 96% between 2003 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
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$78,710	5,730
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$80,790	3,500
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$76,800	2,820
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$65,580	2,680
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	$66,690	2,200
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$64,950	2,190
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$63,470	2,180
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$64,570	2,090
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$78,520	1,680
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$63,760	1,640
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	$69,490	1,610
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$75,650	1,390

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.

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.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Monitoring3.8

Active Listening3.4

Critical Thinking3.1

Speaking3.1

Reading Comprehension3.0

Learning Strategies3.0

Active Learning3.0

Writing2.9

Mathematics2.6

Science2.2

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 Windows●Microsoft Word●Database softwareElectronic medical record EMR softwareEmail softwareGoogle DriveGraphics 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+2.5 above average

Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection+1.9 above average

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets+1.6 above average

Physical Proximity+1.5 above average

Exposed to Contaminants+1.5 above average

Exposed to Radiation+1.5 above average

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls+1.3 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2013-07

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)41%

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)31%

Some College Courses23%

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)5%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2013-07

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Realistic6.3

Conventional4.8

Social3.8

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

Tasks O*NET flags as emerging

Schedule surgical procedures for patients.
Transport patients to and from the operating room.

O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Operations Monitoring3.2

Coordination3.1

Time Management3.1

Instructing3.0

Management of Material Resources3.0

Equipment Maintenance3.0

Operation and Control3.0

Complex Problem Solving3.0

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Customer and Personal ServiceMedicine and DentistryEnglish LanguageEducation and TrainingPublic Safety and SecurityPsychology

Abilities it leans on

Oral ComprehensionNear VisionProblem SensitivitySpeech RecognitionArm-Hand SteadinessSelective Attention

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.

Scrub TechnicianSurgical OrderlySurgical TechnicianSurgical Scrub TechnicianTravel Surgical TechnologistCertified Surgical TechnicianSurgery Technician (Surgery Tech)Operating Room Technician (OR Tech)Operating Room Surgical TechnologistCertified Surgical Technologist (CST)Operating Room Technologist (OR Tech)Surgical Technologist (Surgical Tech)Operating Room Surgical Technician (OR St)Surgical Scrub Technologist (Surgical Scrub Tech)

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.

Now listed 2

+MEDITECH software+Google Drive

No longer listed 3

−Internet browser software−PracticeWorks Systems Kodak WINOMS CS−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

Scrub TechnicianSurgical OrderlySurgeon's AssistantSurgical TechnicianAnesthesia TechnicianSurgical Scrub TechnicianTravel Surgical TechnologistCertified Surgical TechnicianSurgery Technician (Surgery Tech)Operating Room Technician (OR Tech)Operating Room Surgical TechnologistSurgical Technologist (Surgical Tech)

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
doctors' surgery assistant	3256.1	exact
anaesthetic technician	3259.1	close
clinical perfusion scientist	3211.1	close

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

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