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The differences between surgery technicians and surgical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a surgical assistant has an average salary of $52,170, 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 a surgical assistant are patients, surgical procedures, and patient care.
| Surgery Technician | Surgical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $41,646 | $52,170 |
| Hourly rate | $20.02 | $25.08 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 83,376 | 28,138 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 30% |
| Average age | 32 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 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.
A Surgical Assistant provides assistance during an operation by performing a wide range of crucial tasks. They cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field and adjust and maintain operating room parameters according to the surgeon's specifications.
Surgery technicians and surgical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surgery Technician | Surgical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $41,646 | $52,170 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $55,000 | Between $35,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Baptist Health Care |
| Best paying industry | - | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a surgery technician and a surgical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Surgery Technician | Surgical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 30% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Nursing |
| Most common college | Emory University | - |
Here are the differences between surgery technicians' and surgical assistants' demographics:
| Surgery Technician | Surgical Assistant | |
| Average age | 32 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7% | Male, 20.7% Female, 79.3% |
| 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, 10.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 9.1% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |