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The differences between registered nurse med/surgs 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 a registered nurse med/surg, becoming a surgical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a registered nurse med/surg has an average salary of $84,812, which is higher than the $52,193 average annual salary of a surgical technician.
The top three skills for a registered nurse med/surg include patients, BLS and acute care. The most important skills for a surgical technician are patients, surgical technologist, and surgical procedures.
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | Surgical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $84,812 | $52,193 |
| Hourly rate | $40.77 | $25.09 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 515,200 | 70,920 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
The job of registered medical-surgical nurses is to care for patients with either surgical or non-surgical conditions. They are responsible for aiding patients to cope with their illness, prevent diseases, and promote good health. Entry-level registered nurses often rely on standardized care plans and medical procedures and make scientific-based nursing judgments. On the other hand, intermediate level nurses are more skilled in developing care plans that meet client needs. Requirements to become a medical-surgical nurse include a college degree in nursing, excellent assessment and observation skills, and patient education skills.
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.
Registered nurse med/surgs and surgical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | Surgical Technician | |
| Average salary | $84,812 | $52,193 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $145,000 | Between $35,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lancaster, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Dignity Health | St. Tammany Health System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a registered nurse med/surg and a surgical technician in terms of educational background:
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | Surgical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between registered nurse med/surgs' and surgical technicians' demographics:
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | Surgical Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.9% Female, 89.1% | Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 9.1% White, 65.9% 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 | 9% | 13% |