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Surgical Technologists Job Overview

Surgical technologists prepare for and assist surgical procedures under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. The team that they work with includes surgeons, anesthesiologists, and circulating nurses. They help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeon's assistants. They also hold retractors, cut sutures, help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.

Surgical Technologists Schools and Degrees

Surgical technologists earn an associate’s degree by completing a two-year training program which includes instruction in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and medical terminology. They also teach about aseptic techniques, the care and safety of patients during surgery, and infection control and prevention. The programs are offered by professional-technical schools, community and junior colleges, vocational schools, universities, and hospitals. In 2006, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) recognized more than 400 accredited training programs. Programs last from 9 to 24 months and lead to a certificate, diploma, or associate’s degree. It requires high school graduation for admission and provides classroom education and supervised clinical experience. Aspiring surgical technologists should take high school courses in health, biology, chemistry, and mathematics.

Job Requirements

Certified technologists are mostly preferred by employers. They may obtain voluntary professional certification from the Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist by graduating from a CAAHEP-accredited program and also passing a national certification examination. Continuing education or re-examination is required to maintain certification, which must be renewed every 4 years. Surgical technologists need manual coordination to operate instruments quickly and must also be conscientious, orderly and emotionally stable to handle the demands of surgeons and doctors.

Nature of Work

Surgical technologists set up an operating room. They wash and sterilize instruments, place sterile linens and solutions and check the proper functioning of the non-sterile equipment. They also prepare patients for surgery, transport patients to the operating room, position them on the table and cover them with surgical drapes. During surgery, they pass instruments and supplies to surgeons and operate other equipment such as lights or suction machines. After surgery, they help transfer patients to the recovery room.

They work in clean, well-lighted and cool environments. They need to stand for long periods and remain alert during operations. At times, they may be exposed to communicable diseases and unpleasant sights and odors. Most of them work a regular 40-hour week, although they may be on call or work nights, weekends and holidays on a rotating basis.

Surgical Technologists Jobs and Outlook

According to research in 2006, surgical technologists held about 86,000 jobs in the U.S. That number is expected to grow by 24% in the next ten years. Employment is highest in the following industries:

• Employment Services
• General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
• Offices of Physicians
• Outpatient Care Centers
• Offices of Dentists

The mean hourly wage for surgical technologists in the US is about $18.66, while the mean annual wages are around $38,800.

Job Numbers and Growth

There are an estimated 86,000 surgical techs nationally. Most recently, workers have experienced a very low level of joblessness. An estimated 2% of employees did not have employment in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Employees -of-a-feather seem to flock to Rochester (Minnesota), Owensboro (Kentucky), and Florence (South Carolina). They are less likely to be found around Edison (New Jersey), Des Moines (Iowa), and Tacoma (Washington).

Compensation of surgical techs is best in Bethesda (Maryland), Oakland (California), and Santa Rosa (California), and much worse in Pascagoula (Mississippi), Mobile (Alabama), and Anniston (Alabama).

Training and Education

Workers often find employers are looking for a postsecondary vocational award. Employees, in 16% of cases, have bachelor's degree or higher. After high school, 57% of surgical techs pursued some additional career education. Workers, in 27% of cases, had only a high school education. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Surgical techs employed part-time are 21% of the total.

Surgical Techs by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming