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Endoscopy Technicians

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

Maintain a sterile field to provide support for physicians and nurses during endoscopy procedures. Prepare and maintain instruments and equipment. May obtain specimens.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $48,430 Median per year · $23.28/hr Most earn $34,770–$71,470

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Perform safety checks to verify proper equipment functioning.
  • Prepare suites or rooms according to endoscopic procedure requirements.
  • Attend in-service training to validate or refresh basic professional skills.
  • Clean, disinfect, or calibrate scopes or other endoscopic instruments according to manufacturer recommendations and facility standards.
  • Position or transport patients in accordance with instructions from medical personnel.
  • Clean, disinfect, or calibrate scopes or other endoscopic instruments according to manufacturer recommendations and facility standards.

Job outlook

United States
5% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 14,100 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Federal government, excluding postal service13.4%
  • Elementary and secondary schools8.9%
  • Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists6.0%
  • Offices of physicians5.3%
  • All other ambulatory healthcare services4.5%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: Up to 1 month

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: Up to 1 monthEntry-level

Endoscopy Technician is an entry-level job. Most people start with a high school diploma and learn the rest on the job, usually within about a month.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school with strong science and math classes, since they build the basics for working around medical equipment and sterile procedures.

  2. Endoscopy Technician

    Up to 1 month of on-the-job training

    Learn to set up scopes and instruments, keep the procedure area sterile, and support doctors and nurses during endoscopy procedures.

Where it can lead

  1. Surgical Technologist

    Varies by employer; check local job ads of experience first

    Move into a broader operating room role that often needs a formal certificate or apprenticeship, and handles more of the surgical team's instruments and setup.

  2. Surgical Assistant

    Varies by employer; check local job ads of experience first

    Take on a more hands-on role that usually needs a certificate or apprenticeship and more experience, helping surgeons directly during procedures.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology and chemistryThese classes help you understand the cleaning, sterilization, and body systems you will work with in endoscopy.
  • Take a health or medical careers class, if offeredIt gives you a clear picture of how clinical teams work together before you choose a path.
  • Volunteer at a hospital or clinicVolunteering shows you the clinical setting and gives you a reference for future job applications.
  • Get a starter job that teaches care and attention to detailJobs like a food prep or retail role teach you to follow careful steps and work well with others.
  • Join a health occupations or science clubClubs help you meet people in healthcare and practice teamwork and communication.

In college

  • Take anatomy, microbiology, and infection control coursesThese classes build the knowledge behind sterile technique and patient safety in endoscopy.
  • Get a campus or part-time job in a health settingWorking as a medical office assistant or lab aide shows employers you can handle clinical responsibility.
  • Volunteer in a hospital, surgery center, or clinicHands-on time in a clinical area helps you see procedure rooms and decide if this career fits you.
  • Join a pre-health or healthcare student organizationThese groups build teamwork and communication skills that matter when supporting doctors and nurses.
  • Ask about certifications for sterile processing or patient careSome certifications can strengthen your job applications, and your school's career office can tell you which ones are common locally.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for a job posting that offers on-the-job training. Many endoscopy roles teach you the specific equipment and procedures once you are hired.
  • Show that you can stay calm and careful. Sterile work depends on following steps exactly, so a reliable attitude matters a lot in interviews.
  • Ask a hospital or clinic if you can shadow an endoscopy team or talk with a technician. Hearing about the daily work helps you decide whether it fits you.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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