How To Become A Surgery Scheduler: What It Is and Career Path

What is a surgery scheduler and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

A surgery scheduler is an individual responsible for coordinating and scheduling surgical procedures within a hospital or medical facility. They work closely with physicians, patients, and other healthcare professionals to ensure that surgeries are scheduled efficiently and effectively. The surgery scheduler is responsible for obtaining all necessary patient information, verifying insurance coverage, and scheduling the appropriate surgical staff and equipment. They must also ensure that surgical schedules are organized and maintained in a timely manner.

ScoreSurgery SchedulerUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,472

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.2

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 3.77%

Black or African American 9.57%

Hispanic or Latino 11.96%

Unknown 3.77%

White 70.56%

Gender

female 93.52%

male 6.48%

Age - 51

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 - 51

Stress level

7.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.7

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

9.3

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a surgery scheduler?

Pros

Involved in the important and rewarding process of scheduling surgeries
Opportunity to work closely with surgeons and other healthcare professionals
Potential for job stability and growth within a hospital or healthcare system
Potential for flexible scheduling options
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with constantly changing priorities

Cons

Potential for long hours and weekend/on-call work
Must maintain high accuracy levels when scheduling surgeries
Potential for dealing with difficult patients or surgeons
Limited room for error in scheduling surgeries, which can have serious consequences
Can be emotionally challenging due to dealing with patients' medical conditions

Key steps to become a surgery scheduler

Explore surgery scheduler education requirements

Most common surgery scheduler degrees

Associate

25.7 %

Bachelor's

24.2 %

High School Diploma

21.1 %

Start to develop specific surgery scheduler skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	26.22%
Medical Terminology	9.65%
Customer Service	8.92%
Patient Care	4.78%
Surgical Procedures	4.36%

Complete relevant surgery scheduler training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New surgery schedulers 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 a surgery scheduler based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real surgery scheduler resumes.

Gain additional surgery scheduler certifications

Surgery scheduler 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 surgery scheduler certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for surgery schedulers include Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) and Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS).

More About Certifications

Research surgery scheduler duties and responsibilities

Manage medical records and patient information within HIPPA guidelines
Manage patient pre-op responsibilities, and generate all necessary paperwork.
Request financial screening services for patients with limit Medicaid packages, as well as the uninsured.
Provide patients with information that explain hospital admission policies, time of admission and HIPPA privacy guidelines.

Prepare your surgery scheduler resume

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

Choose from 10+ customizable surgery scheduler resume templates

Build a professional surgery scheduler 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 surgery scheduler resume.