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The differences between surgery technicians and operating room technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a surgery technician and an operating room technician. Additionally, an operating room technician has an average salary of $53,636, which is higher than the $41,646 average annual salary of a surgery technician.
The top three skills for a surgery technician include patients, patient care and surgical procedures. The most important skills for an operating room technician are patients, patient care, and surgical procedures.
| Surgery Technician | Operating Room Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $41,646 | $53,636 |
| Hourly rate | $20.02 | $25.79 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 83,376 | 96,065 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 32 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A surgery technician plays a vital role in the success of medical surgeries. They are primarily in charge of performing essential support tasks such as sanitizing and preparing operating rooms, setting-up equipment, sterilizing instruments, and ensuring that supplies are accurate and adequate. They also prepare patients before surgeries, assist surgeons by handing out supplies or tools, and participate in transporting the patients from one room to another. Moreover, they must maintain an active communication line with nurses and surgeons, coordinating every step of the way.
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.
Surgery technicians and operating room technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surgery Technician | Operating Room Technician | |
| Average salary | $41,646 | $53,636 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $55,000 | Between $35,000 And $81,000 |
| 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 a surgery technician and an operating room technician in terms of educational background:
| Surgery Technician | Operating Room Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | Emory University | New York University |
Here are the differences between surgery technicians' and operating room technicians' demographics:
| Surgery Technician | Operating Room Technician | |
| Average age | 32 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7% | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 2.1% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |