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Career overview · SOC 29-2055

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.

Also called: 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

Median pay (national)
$62,830
$43,290–$90,700 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
113,890
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+4.5%
~7,000 openings/yr
Typical entry
Postsecondary nondegree award

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for surgical technologists shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $90,700 versus $43,290 at the bottom 10% — 2.1x. The median of $62,830 leaves roughly 44% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +4.5% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 7,000 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 52 states with released data, California pays the most for this role (median $81,120, +29% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $26,000 — a 212% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Monitoring, Active Listening, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Monitoring
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Learning
  • Learning Strategies
  • Writing
  • Mathematics
  • Science

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
  • Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
  • 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.
  • Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
  • Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.
  • 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.
  • Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.

Tools & technology

  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Database software
  • Electronic medical record EMR software
  • Google Drive
  • Graphics software
  • Nursing documentation software
  • Patient scheduling software
  • Patient tracking software
  • Supply documentation software
  • Surgery workflow communication software
  • Email software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Word

Knowledge areas

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • English Language
  • Education and Training
  • Psychology
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Biology
  • Mathematics