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The differences between endoscopy technicians and surgical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an endoscopy technician, becoming a surgical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a surgical technician has an average salary of $52,193, which is higher than the $37,154 average annual salary of an endoscopy technician.
The top three skills for an endoscopy technician include patients, patient care and BLS. The most important skills for a surgical technician are patients, surgical technologist, and surgical procedures.
| Endoscopy Technician | Surgical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,154 | $52,193 |
| Hourly rate | $17.86 | $25.09 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 35,685 | 70,920 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
An endoscopy technician is primarily in charge of assisting physicians and nurses during endoscopy preparations and procedures. Their responsibilities often include thoroughly sterilizing the equipment before every process, making necessary adjustments in adherence to the needs of cases, handling the endoscope, and monitoring the condition and vital signs of patients. An endoscopy technician is also responsible for assisting patients, helping them prepare for every procedure, and answering their inquiries as needed. Furthermore, there are also instances when an endoscopy technician may help in biopsies or polyp removal.
A Surgical Technician is an essential member of a medical operating team. They serve as an additional hand of a surgeon. Surgical Technicians have the vital responsibility of assisting surgeons during operations, such as passing and providing instruments and tools such as Graspers, Clasps, Suction, and more. Furthermore, Surgical Technicians are also responsible for preparing all of the required surgical devices and instruments, making sure they are all up to the standards of hospital and medical regulations. And post-surgery, their duties include applying bandages to a patient and even cleaning the operating room.
Endoscopy technicians and surgical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Endoscopy Technician | Surgical Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,154 | $52,193 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $46,000 | Between $35,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | St. Tammany Health System |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Professional |
There are a few differences between an endoscopy technician and a surgical technician in terms of educational background:
| Endoscopy Technician | Surgical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | - | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between endoscopy technicians' and surgical technicians' demographics:
| Endoscopy Technician | Surgical Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6% | Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 8.9% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 4.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 13% |