How much does a surgical technologist make?

The median pay is $31.08 per hour — roughly $64,500 a year, with the real range running from about $22.09/hr (10th percentile) to $46.61/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What does a surgical technologist actually do all day?

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.

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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.

What it pays
Surgical Technologists earn a median of $31.08/hr — about $64,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $22.09/hr; the top 10% earn $46.61/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

The work is mostly indoors; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0.1% of surgical technologists are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a surgical technologist make?: The median pay is $31.08 per hour — roughly $64,500 a year, with the real range running from about $22.09/hr (10th percentile) to $46.61/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a surgical technologist?: The typical entry-level education is: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
What does a surgical technologist actually do all day?: 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.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

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