How to hire a surgery technician

How to hire a surgery technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step surgery technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a surgery technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new surgery technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your surgery technician job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a surgery technician for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A surgery technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, surgery technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents surgery technician salaries for various positions.

   Type of Surgery Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Surgery Technician	Veterinary technologists and technicians perform medical tests under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian to assist in diagnosing the injuries and illnesses of animals.	$14-26
   Animal Health Technician	Animal health technicians work primarily in an animal diagnostics laboratory, where they test specimens according to a veterinarian's requests. The animal health technician must be capable of operating all of the necessary diagnostics equipment for animal care... Show more	$11-27
   Licensed Veterinary Technician	A licensed veterinary technician serves as the assistant of the veterinarian who is responsible for doing clinical work inside a clinic or a veterinary hospital. They monitor and observe the current health situation of an animal and also give them first aid when needed... Show more	$14-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • Surgical Procedures
   • CPR
   • Infection Control
   • Surgical Instruments
   • Pre
   • GYN
   • IV
   • Ortho
   • Radiology
   • Sponges
   • PET
   • Medical Terminology

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Sterilized/packed surgical instruments, prepare large and small animal patients for surgery, assist with surgical procedures.
   • Use compassion when client's pets have passed away or need to be euthanize due to loss of quality of life.
   • Assist in positioning and supporting patients for regional anesthesia procedures such as spinal and epidurals.
   • Qualify to administer and monitor anesthesia, and assist in surgical procedures, including preparatory and post-op care.
   • Work closely with clients, other staff and Dr. Faulkner.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your surgery technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A surgery technician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, surgery technicians' average salary in arkansas is 43% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level surgery technicians 44% less than senior-level surgery technicians.
   • Certifications. A surgery technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a surgery technician's salary.

   Average surgery technician salary

   $41,646yearly

   $20.02 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level surgery technician salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

4. Writing a surgery technician job description

   A surgery technician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a surgery technician job description:

   Surgery technician job description example

   Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA) is transforming specialty care in our communities. We relentlessly create value by aligning physicians, health plans and health systems around a common goal: delivering exceptional care and healing to our patients and communities we serve. We are driven to achieve the quadruple aim in health care: high quality outcomes and a better experience for patients and providers, all at a lower total cost of care. As a national leader in surgical care, SCA's 11,000 teammates operate more than 260 surgical facilities that serve over 1 million patients per year. For more information on SCA, visit www.scasurgery.com.
   Why join SCA? Consider the following fantastic benefits…
   
   Positive work culture
   Career growth opportunities
   Comprehensive medical, vision and dental insurance - eligible on Day 1 of employment
   Paid time off plus 8 paid holidays
   Maternity/paternity/adoption benefits
   Employer-paid life and short- and long-term disability insurance
   Excellent 401(k) Plan
   Accountabilities / Responsibilities:
   
   High energy surgical tech needed for assisting in ophthalmic procedures. Prior experience a plus but will consider a highly motivated individual. M-F, no weekends or holidays.
   
   Key Responsibilities:
   
   Knowledge of sterilization procedures, aseptic technique, and maintenance and care of instruments and equipment.
   Assists with the preparation of the operating room for surgical procedures and effectively and efficiently assists the surgeon during the procedure.
   Good visual acuity. Ability to lift/transfer patients in excess of 100 pounds, which may require pushing, pulling and essentially utilizing a full range of body movement. Ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch and/or crawl. Ability to reach, grasp, use fine finger movement and feel fine sensation to discern temperature, texture, size and shape. Ability to speak and hear.
   Displays a caring and responsive attitude and conducts all activities respecting patient, family and employee rights and expectations.
   Fosters a positive and professional surgery center environment by interacting with all persons in a considerate, helpful and courteous manner and by participating as a team member.
   Qualifications:
   Graduate of a recognized and accredited Operating Room Technician Program.
   Prior Experience as an ORT/CST preferred.
   Current Surgical Technologist certification.
   Successful completion of BCLS Course within 90 days of employment or documentation of current BCLS certification. Employer provides course.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right surgery technician for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with surgery technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit surgery technicians who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your surgery technician job on Zippia to find and recruit surgery technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with surgery technician candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new surgery technician

   Once you have selected a candidate for the surgery technician position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new surgery technician. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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