Health Technologists and Technicians

How to become a Surgical Technologist

Official title: Surgical Technologists

Also called: Central Supply Technician (Central Supply Tech), Certified Scrub Technician (Certified Scrub Tech), CST (Certified Surgical Technologist), OR Surgical Tech (Operating Room Surgical Technician), OR Tech (Operating Room Technician), OR Technologist (Operating Room Technologist), Scrub Technician (Scrub Tech), Scrub Technologist (Scrub Tech), Surgical Scrub Technician (Surgical Scrub Tech), Surgical Scrub Technologist (Surgical Scrub Tech)

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.

Main tasks

Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.

How to become one

Surgical assistants and technologists typically need a certificate or an associate's degree. Employers may require or prefer that workers have certification. Some states regulate these workers.

Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Surgical Technologist.
Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Pathology/Pathologist Assistant; Surgical Technology/Technologist; Sterile Processing Technology/Technician

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $64,650 a year The middle half earn $54,690 to $79,750.
About 118,400 people work in this job now, and about 124,300 are projected by 2035. (+5%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Surgical Technologist?

Surgical assistants and technologists typically need a certificate or an associate's degree. Employers may require or prefer that workers have certification. Some states regulate these workers.

How much does a Surgical Technologist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $64,650 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $54,690 to $79,750.

Is a Surgical Technologist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 118,400 to about 124,300 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Surgical Technologist?

Usually not. Only 14% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Surgical Technologist.

Will AI change the work of a Surgical Technologist?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.