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The differences between operating room technicians and surgical scrub technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an operating room technician and a surgical scrub technician. Additionally, an operating room technician has an average salary of $53,636, which is higher than the $52,701 average annual salary of a surgical scrub technician.
The top three skills for an operating room technician include patients, patient care and surgical procedures. The most important skills for a surgical scrub technician are patients, surgical procedures, and CPR.
| Operating Room Technician | Surgical Scrub Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $53,636 | $52,701 |
| Hourly rate | $25.79 | $25.34 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 96,065 | 40,168 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An operating room technician is responsible for assisting in the operating room procedures, ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the room, inspecting the condition of machines before the operation, and preparing medical tools and equipment accordingly. Operating room technicians guide the patients throughout the surgical procedures, instructing them as necessary regarding the processes. They also monitor the adequacy of surgical supplies inventory and write request reports for purchase. An operating room technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to multitask to attend to different patients' needs within a strict, demanding time.
A surgical Scrub Technician can be referred to as a doctor because he/she is a committed technician who does multiple tasks like providing the surgeon with nice instruments for surgery. They provide sterile instruments to the surgeon, prepare the operating table, sterilize the instruments, and make the room neat and clean.
Operating room technicians and surgical scrub technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operating Room Technician | Surgical Scrub Technician | |
| Average salary | $53,636 | $52,701 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $81,000 | Between $35,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Corvallis, OR | - |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | - |
| Best paying company | Maxim Healthcare Group | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between an operating room technician and a surgical scrub technician in terms of educational background:
| Operating Room Technician | Surgical Scrub Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Nursing |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between operating room technicians' and surgical scrub technicians' demographics:
| Operating Room Technician | Surgical Scrub Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% | Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 13% | 13% |