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What is a surgeon's assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a surgeon's assistant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $176.9 an hour? That's $367,957 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 55,400 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreSurgeon's AssistantUS Average
Salary
10.0

Avg. Salary $367,957

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.14%

Asian 12.67%

Black or African American 1.81%

Hispanic or Latino 5.01%

Unknown 3.76%

White 76.60%

Gender

female 57.98%

male 42.02%

Age - 47
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 - 47
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Surgeon's assistant career paths

Key steps to become a surgeon's assistant

  1. Explore surgeon's assistant education requirements

    Most common surgeon's assistant degrees

    Bachelor's

    31.7 %

    Associate

    22.7 %

    Doctorate

    13.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific surgeon's assistant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients19.01%
    Ortho17.47%
    EMR16.05%
    General Surgery8.49%
    Surgical Procedures6.76%
  3. Research surgeon's assistant duties and responsibilities

    • Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
    • Perform in-office suturing and skin closures in the operating room.
    • Perform vital sign checks, glucose level assessments and EKG's.
    • Provide education to patients anticipating surgery, to reduce patient anxiety, and enhance surgical outcome.
  4. Prepare your surgeon's assistant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your surgeon's assistant 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 a surgeon's assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable surgeon's assistant resume templates

    Build a professional surgeon's assistant 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 surgeon's assistant resume.
    Surgeon's Assistant Resume
    Surgeon's Assistant Resume
    Surgeon's Assistant Resume
    Surgeon's Assistant Resume
    Surgeon's Assistant Resume
    Surgeon's Assistant Resume
    Surgeon's Assistant Resume
    Surgeon's Assistant Resume
    Surgeon's Assistant Resume
  5. Apply for surgeon's assistant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a surgeon's assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first surgeon's assistant job

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Average surgeon's assistant salary

The average surgeon's assistant salary in the United States is $367,957 per year or $177 per hour. Surgeon's assistant salaries range between $189,000 and $715,000 per year.

Average surgeon's assistant salary
$367,957 Yearly
$176.90 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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