Surgical Assistants: Career Overview
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.
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What Do Surgical Assistants Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of surgical assistants span:
- Verify the identity of patient or operative site.
- Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
- Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field.
- 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.
- Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
- Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.
- Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers.
- 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.
What Surgical Assistants Need to Know
Successful surgical assistants draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Surgical Assistants Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Certified First Assistant (CFA)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant (CRNFA)
- Certified Surgical Assistant (CSA)
- Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA)
- Certified Surgical Technician
- Clinical Assistant
- First Assistant
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 984,146 surgical assistants working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +9.9% over the projection horizon.
Surgical Assistants Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $141,004 |
| Hourly median | $67.79 |
| 10th percentile | $91,391 |
| 25th percentile | $116,198 |
| 75th percentile | $165,810 |
| 90th percentile | $190,616 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Nevada | $110,020 |
| Arizona | $107,500 |
| District of Columbia | $105,080 |
| Minnesota | $100,000 |
| South Carolina | $98,340 |
| Kentucky | $81,710 |
| Tennessee | $78,330 |
| Texas | $76,510 |
| New Hampshire | $74,880 |
| New Jersey | $73,600 |
| Wisconsin | $71,630 |
| Washington | $69,060 |
| Montana | $64,810 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,670 |
| Illinois | $62,030 |
| Oregon | $61,970 |
| Massachusetts | $61,880 |
| Iowa | $60,620 |
| Indiana | $60,380 |
| California | $60,290 |
| Rhode Island | $59,670 |
| New York | $58,680 |
| Virginia | $58,490 |
| Maryland | $58,240 |
| Michigan | $55,630 |
| Idaho | $55,310 |
| North Dakota | $54,840 |
| Connecticut | $53,300 |
| Georgia | $52,430 |
| Hawaii | $52,340 |
| Ohio | $51,180 |
| Florida | $50,920 |
| North Carolina | $50,880 |
| Nebraska | $49,850 |
| Arkansas | $49,340 |
| Alaska | $49,200 |
| West Virginia | $49,080 |
| Mississippi | $48,820 |
| Kansas | $48,200 |
| New Mexico | $46,810 |
| Utah | $44,720 |
| Missouri | $44,390 |
| Louisiana | $41,810 |
| Alabama | $38,900 |
| Oklahoma | $37,230 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,530 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for surgical assistants vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest | $70,927 | 16.4% | 1.37 |
| Middle Atlantic | $63,353 | 11.2% | 1.26 |
| New England | $62,998 | 3.0% | 1.17 |
| Far Western US | $61,529 | 4.1% | 1.62 |
| Southeast | $59,921 | 38.5% | 1.54 |
| Great Lakes | $59,817 | 19.8% | 1.23 |
| Plains States | $57,920 | 4.7% | 0.71 |
| Rocky Mountains | $49,392 | 2.1% | 1.33 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $116,140 | 100 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | AZ | $115,610 | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | NV | $110,020 | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | VA | $98,910 | 290 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | SC | $96,150 | 100 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | MN | $92,160 | 30 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | KY | $90,210 | 120 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | IN | $89,600 |
Industry Breakdown
Most surgical assistants work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 22,280 | $60,290 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 290 | $86,290 |
| Educational Services | 110 | $56,460 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of surgical assistants reflects the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Physical Proximity
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level surgical assistants positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Physician Assistants (Supplemental)
- Anesthesiologist Assistants (Primary-Short)
- Respiratory Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Acute Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Critical Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Nurse Anesthetists (Supplemental)
- Anesthesiologists (Supplemental)
- Cardiologists (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future surgical assistants typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-9093.00 (Surgical Assistants).
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