Operating room technician demographics and statistics in the US
Operating room technician demographics research summary. Zippia estimates operating room technician demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our operating room technician estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about operating room technicians after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 96,099 operating room technicians currently employed in the United States.
- 51.5% of all operating room technicians are women, while 48.5% are men.
- The average operating room technician age is 41 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of operating room technicians is White (63.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (14.4%), Black or African American (13.2%) and Asian (4.8%).
- Operating room technicians are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- Corvallis, OR pays an annual average wage of $71,087, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women operating room technicians earned 87% of what men earned.
- Arizona is the best state for operating room technicians to live.
- Operating room technicians are 84% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Operating room technician demographics by:
Operating room technician gender statistics
51.5% of operating room technicians are women and 48.5% of operating room technicians are men.
- Female, 51.5%
- Male, 48.5%
Operating room technician gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 51.5% |
| Male | 48.5% |
Operating room technician gender pay gap
Women earn 87¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$58,929
Female income
$51,064
Operating room technician gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in operating room technician positions over time. Currently, 51.5% of operating room technicians are female.
Operating room technician gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 40.39% | 59.61% |
| 2011 | 39.92% | 60.08% |
| 2012 | 40.00% | 60.00% |
| 2013 | 40.59% | 59.41% |
| 2014 | 44.63% | 55.37% |
| 2015 | 40.37% | 59.63% |
| 2016 | 40.76% | 59.24% |
| 2017 | 43.42% | 56.58% |
| 2018 | 49.15% | 50.85% |
| 2019 | 47.90% | 52.10% |
| 2020 | 47.02% | 52.98% |
| 2021 | 48.50% | 51.50% |
Operating room technician related jobs gender ratio
We compared operating room technicians with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, guitar technician and armorer technician have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Radiographer, Mammographer | 2% | 98% |
| Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Lead Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Operating Room Technician | 48% | 52% |
| Driver/Technician | 93% | 7% |
| Armorer Technician | 95% | 5% |
| Guitar Technician | 96% | 4% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Operating room technician demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among operating room technicians is White, which makes up 63.0% of all operating room technicians. Comparatively, 14.4% of operating room technicians are Hispanic or Latino and 13.2% of operating room technicians are Black or African American.
- White, 63.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 14.4%
- Black or African American, 13.2%
- Asian, 4.8%
- Unknown, 4.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
Operating room technician race
| Operating room technician race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 63.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.4% |
| Black or African American | 13.2% |
| Asian | 4.8% |
| Unknown | 4.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
Operating room technician race and ethnicity over time
See how operating room technician racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Operating room technician race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 73.00% | 9.36% | 6.16% | 8.76% |
| 2011 | 71.85% | 10.55% | 5.93% | 9.55% |
| 2012 | 70.15% | 10.26% | 6.54% | 10.33% |
| 2013 | 70.04% | 9.57% | 6.93% | 11.02% |
| 2014 | 69.81% | 9.42% | 7.57% | 10.60% |
| 2015 | 69.23% | 10.93% | 6.73% | 10.81% |
| 2016 | 69.25% | 9.82% | 7.19% | 10.91% |
| 2017 | 68.54% | 9.25% | 6.96% | 12.14% |
| 2018 | 69.37% | 11.40% | 4.06% | 13.04% |
| 2019 | 67.56% | 12.24% | 3.40% | 13.76% |
| 2020 | 65.88% | 12.09% | 3.67% | 12.44% |
| 2021 | 62.98% | 13.24% | 4.84% | 14.36% |
Operating room technician wage gap by race
According to our data, asian operating room technicians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american operating room technicians have the lowest average salary at $53,451.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $54,405 |
| White | $57,463 |
| Black or African American | $53,451 |
| Asian | $67,830 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $62,695 |
Average operating room technician age
See how the average age of operating room technicians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Operating room technician age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 37.5 | |
| White | 43 | 40 |
| Black or African American | 44 | 45 |
| Asian | 45 | 39.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 35 |
Operating room technician age breakdown
The average age of operating room technicians is 40+ years years old, representing 53% of the operating room technician population.
Operating room technician age breakdown
| Operating Room Technician Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 53% |
| 30-40 years | 30% |
| 20-30 years | 17% |
Operating room technician educational attainment
The most common degree for operating room technicians is bachelor's degree, with 34% of operating room technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 32% and associate degree degree at 15%.
- Bachelor's, 34%
- Associate, 32%
- High School Diploma, 15%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 11%
Operating room technicians by degree level
| Operating room technician degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 34% |
| Associate | 32% |
| High School Diploma | 15% |
| Diploma | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 11% |
Operating room technician jobs you might like
Operating room technician wage gap by degree level
According to the data, operating room technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $62,905 annually. With a Associate degree, operating room technicians earn a median annual income of $61,988 compared to $58,566 for operating room technicians with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $58,566 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,905 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $61,988 |
Operating room technician employment statistics
Most operating room technicians work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where operating room technicians work
Below, you can see the size of companies where operating room technicians work.
Operating room technician jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 16% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 42% |
| > 10,000 employees | 16% |
Operating room technician jobs by company type
Employees with the operating room technician job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most operating room technicians prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Operating room technician jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 7% |
| Public | 5% |
| Private | 84% |
| Government | 4% |
Operating room technician jobs by industry
The most common industries for operating room technicians are health care, education and professional.
Operating room technician industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 78% |
| Education | 5% |
| Government | 3% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Operating room technician turnover and employment statistics
Operating room technician unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for operating room technicians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Operating room technician unemployment rate by year
| Year | Operating room technician unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.11% |
| 2011 | 5.06% |
| 2012 | 4.43% |
| 2013 | 3.96% |
| 2014 | 3.13% |
| 2015 | 3.08% |
| 2016 | 2.16% |
| 2017 | 2.36% |
| 2018 | 2.71% |
| 2019 | 1.11% |
| 2020 | 2.25% |
| 2021 | 1.29% |
Average operating room technician tenure
The average operating room technician stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,880 operating room technicians resumes in Zippia's database.
Operating room technician tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 14% |
| 1-2 years | 30% |
| 3-4 years | 20% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Operating room technician LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of operating room technicians that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Technician, Inventory Specialist | 5.02% | 65,659 |
| Dental Hygienist | 6.89% | 24,234 |
| Process Laboratory Specialist | 8.24% | 91,742 |
| Information Associate | 9.29% | 65,789 |
| Optician Manager | 12.53% | 4,803 |
| Operating Room Technician | 12.80% | - |
| Senior Nuclear Medicine Technologist | 21.93% | 56,975 |
Similar operating room technician jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Technician, Inventory Specialist | 5.02% | 65,659 |
| Dental Hygienist | 6.89% | 24,234 |
| Process Laboratory Specialist | 8.24% | 91,742 |
| Information Associate | 9.29% | 65,789 |
| Optician Manager | 12.53% | 4,803 |
| Senior Nuclear Medicine Technologist | 21.93% | 56,975 |
Foreign languages spoken by operating room technicians
The most common foreign language among operating room technicians is Spanish at 74.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 5.9% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 3.9%.
- Spanish, 74.5%
- French, 5.9%
- Portuguese, 3.9%
- Swedish, 2.0%
- Bulgarian, 2.0%
- Other, 11.7%
Operating room technician languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 74.5% |
| French | 5.9% |
| Portuguese | 3.9% |
| Swedish | 2.0% |
| Bulgarian | 2.0% |
| Other | 11.7% |
