How To Become An Operating Room Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is an operating room technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Operating room technicians are found in the operating room before, during, and after the participation of the surgeons and nurses. They are otherwise called surgical technicians or technologists. They prepare the operating room. Similarly, they ensure all necessary supplies and surgical tools are sterile and ready. Additionally, they keep track of all materials used during the surgery and may provide other assistance during the operation as required. Furthermore, they clean up the operating room after surgery and deliver the patient to recovery.

For this role, you need a minimum of a high school diploma or its equivalent. Certification as a surgical technologist is preferred. You must have one to two years of relevant work experience. Similarly, you must have a current Basic Life Support certificate. Problem-solving, attention to detail, and manual dexterity are essential for success. These experts make an average gross income of $39,805 annually. It varies between $23,000 and $69,000

ScoreOperating Room TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,636

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.3

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.43%

Asian 4.84%

Black or African American 13.24%

Hispanic or Latino 14.36%

Unknown 4.15%

White 62.98%

Gender

female 51.50%

male 48.50%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress level

9.3

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.2

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an operating room technician

Explore operating room technician education requirements

Most common operating room technician degrees

Bachelor's

33.5 %

Associate

31.5 %

High School Diploma

15.3 %

Start to develop specific operating room technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	21.20%
Patient Care	12.77%
Surgical Procedures	9.58%
Surgical Technologist	7.88%
Aseptic Technique	5.62%

Complete relevant operating room technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New operating room technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an operating room technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real operating room technician resumes.

Gain additional operating room technician certifications

Operating room technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific operating room technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for operating room technicians include Medical Assistant and Certified Surgical Technologist (CST).

More About Certifications

Research operating room technician duties and responsibilities

Work collaboratively with surgeons, anesthesiologist, and nursing staff in patients elective surgical procedures to achieve optimum patient outcomes.
Maintain cleanliness and orderliness of the operating rooms according to proper protocols to ensure a sterile environment in preparation for surgery.
Develop mathematics and language arts skills.
Clean stretchers and beds and replace sheets.

Prepare your operating room technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your operating room technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an operating room technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable operating room technician resume templates

Build a professional operating room technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your operating room technician resume.