Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Surgical Assistants

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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.

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.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.

High 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 $66,800 Median per year · $32.11/hr Most earn $39,690–$107,610

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Coordinate with anesthesia personnel to maintain patient temperature.
  • Postoperatively inject a subcutaneous local anesthetic agent to reduce pain.
  • 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.
  • Assist members of surgical team with gowning or gloving.
  • Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 1,400 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

  • General medical and surgical hospitals37.0%
  • Offices of dentists25.2%
  • Offices of physicians15.7%
  • Self-employed (their own business)8.1%

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

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

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: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Surgical assistant is not usually an entry-level job. Most people first finish a training program and work as a surgical technologist for about 1 to 2 years before moving into this role. Plan on roughly 3 to 4 years after high school, including training.

  1. High school diploma with science courses

    4 years

    Strong biology, chemistry, and math grades make it easier to get into a surgical technology certificate program.

  2. Surgical technology certificate or apprenticeship

    about 1 year

    Training covers sterile technique, surgical instruments, and how operations are set up, which you need before working in an operating room.

  3. Surgical Technologist

    1-2 years

    Working in the operating room as a technologist builds the hands-on experience and surgical knowledge employers expect before someone assists surgeons directly.

  4. Surgical Assistant

    Ongoing

    You work under a surgeon's supervision, helping with incisions, closing, suctioning, and dressings, within the rules of your state.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Surgical Assistant

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on more complex cases and may train newer assistants or surgical staff, which usually requires a strong track record and reliable skills under pressure.

  2. Surgical Services Supervisor

    5+ years of experience first

    You manage scheduling, staffing, and supplies for surgical teams, which typically requires leadership experience and good organization skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and anatomy if offeredThese classes build the science background you'll use in surgical training programs.
  • Volunteer at a hospital or clinicVolunteering shows you the healthcare setting and gives you experience you can list on applications.
  • Earn a CPR or first aid certificationThis is a low-cost skill that many healthcare training programs and jobs ask for.
  • Join a health occupations or science clubClubs like these let you meet people in healthcare and practice teamwork and communication.
  • Get a starter job in a medical or customer service settingA job such as a receptionist or front-desk role teaches responsibility and professional communication.

In college

  • Take anatomy, physiology, and microbiologyThese courses cover the body systems and infection control that surgical teams rely on every day.
  • Apply to a surgical technology certificate programCompleting an accredited program is the usual way to qualify for the first healthcare job in this field.
  • Seek clinical or observation hoursHands-on time in an operating room helps you decide if this path fits you and strengthens later applications.
  • Get certified in BLS (Basic Life Support)Many surgical and healthcare employers require this certification, and having it early makes you a stronger candidate.
  • Join a pre-health or student medical organizationThese groups offer networking, guest speakers, and experience working in teams with future healthcare workers.

Tips for getting started

  • Look up surgical technology and surgical assistant rules in your state, since the tasks you're allowed to do depend on state law.
  • Get a CPR or first aid certification early. Many training programs and hospital jobs ask for it.
  • Ask a local hospital or surgery center whether you can shadow staff or volunteer, so you can see the operating room before you commit to training.

Related jobs that often lead here

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.

Related careers