Surgical Assistants
Health ScienceO*NET 29-9093.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $66,447
- Projected change
- +9.8%
- Typical education
- Associate degree
- Employment
- 25.31K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
25% of the workforce
Growing to 27.8K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What surgical assistants do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers.
- Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.
- Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment.
- 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.
- Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures.
- 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.
- Obtain or inspect sterile or non-sterile surgical equipment, instruments, or supplies.
- Operate sterilizing devices.
- Pass instruments or supplies to surgeon during procedure.
- Monitor patient intra-operative status, including patient position, vital signs, or volume and color of blood.
- Assist in the insertion, positioning, or suturing of closed-wound drainage systems.
- Assist members of surgical team with gowning or gloving.
- Gather, arrange, or assemble instruments or supplies.
- Coordinate with anesthesia personnel to maintain patient temperature.
- Adjust and maintain operating room temperature, humidity, or lighting, according to surgeon's specifications.
- Assist in applying casts, splints, braces, or similar devices.
- Transport patients to operating room.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $38,346
- 25th percentile
- $49,155
- 50th percentile
- $66,447
- 75th percentile
- $89,064
- 90th percentile
- $112,731
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $66,447 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+9.8%faster than average
202525,309 jobs
2035 projected27,797 jobs
2,488 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Associate degree
- 25%
- Bachelor's degree
- 23.9%
- Certificate
- 15.4%
- High school diploma or less
- 13.2%
- Some college
- 10.6%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 7.7%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 4.3%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Surgical Assistants1,411 postings
- 02Surgical First Assistants1,208 postings
- 03Surgical Dental Assistants809 postings
- 04Certified Surgical First Assistants806 postings
- 05Oral Surgery Assistants661 postings
- 06Medical/Surgical Assistants617 postings
- 07Surgical Aides280 postings
- 08Surgical Technologists First Assistant242 postings
- 09Surgical Services Assistants168 postings
- 10Certified Surgical Technicians/Surgical Assistants114 postings
- 11Surgical Coordinators114 postings
- 12Perioperative Assistants113 postings
- 13Surgical Oncologists110 postings
- 14Scrub Technicians102 postings
- 15Surgical Pathologists98 postings
- 16Operating Room Technicians90 postings
- 17Certified First Assistants88 postings
- 18Surgical Technologists70 postings
- 19Assistant Managers68 postings
- 20Surgery Assistants68 postings
Top employers
- 01HCA Healthcare356 postings
- 02Aya Healthcare334 postings
- 03Dreambound318 postings
- 04AdventHealth168 postings
- 05AMN Healthcare125 postings
- 06MedPro Healthcare Staffing123 postings
- 07Titan Medical114 postings
- 08CHRISTUS Health106 postings
- 09Soliant Health104 postings
- 10United Surgical Partners International85 postings
- 11Mercyhealth84 postings
- 12Trusted Health83 postings
- 13Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporation82 postings
- 14Ascension81 postings
- 15Supplemental Health Care77 postings
- 16Beacon Oral Specialists74 postings
- 17Rothman Orthopaedics Of New York, PLLC74 postings
- 18Fusion Medical Staffing66 postings
- 19Huntsville Hospital62 postings
- 20Gqr58 postings
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