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How to hire a surgical aide

Surgical aide hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring surgical aides in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a surgical aide is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new surgical aide to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a surgical aide, step by step

To hire a surgical aide, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a surgical aide:

Here's a step-by-step surgical aide hiring guide:

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

    Before you post your surgical aide 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 surgical aide 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?

    A surgical aide's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, surgical aides 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 surgical aide salaries for various positions.

    Type of Surgical AideDescriptionHourly rate
    Surgical AideNursing assistants, sometimes called nursing aides, help provide basic care for patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. Orderlies transport patients and clean treatment areas... Show more$12-18
    PRNA PRN or a "pro re nata" employee is responsible for covering a shift or a specific situation, especially during short-staffing or the need to complete a particular task. The PRNs often work for a medical industry without a regular or full-time commitment, having the freedom to manage their time and take multiple assignments from different organizations... Show more$8-42
    Patients TransporterA patients transporter is responsible for transporting patients from one place to assigned healthcare facilities to receive medical care and treatment. Patients transporters assist with moving the patients, such as on wheelchairs and beds, depending on their conditions... Show more$11-17
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Patients
    • Patient Care
    • Infection Control
    • Stretchers
    • Surgical Procedures
    • PACU
    • Medical Terminology
    • Blood Products
    • Surgical Instruments
    • Surgical Suite
    • Surgical Equipment
    • Medical Equipment
    • Surgical Cases
    • Blood Bank
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage medical records and document examination notes, prescriptions, and procedure details in EMR.
    • Prepare patients for medical examination and procedures.
    • Plan activities base on assign student's IEP to encourage appropriate independence and facilitate/support student's participation in all activities.
    • Provide behavioral/emotional support and supervision for those with dementia and Alzheimer's.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your surgical aide job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A surgical aide salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, surgical aides' average salary in mississippi is 34% less than in maine.
    • Seniority. Entry-level surgical aides earn 32% less than senior-level surgical aides.
    • Certifications. A surgical aide with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a surgical aide's salary.

    Average surgical aide salary

    $15.25hourly

    $31,726 yearly

    Entry-level surgical aide salary
    $26,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 16, 2025
  4. Writing a surgical aide job description

    A surgical aide 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. Below, you can find an example of a surgical aide job description:

    Surgical aide job description example

    90

    Vision close/distance

    100

    Carrying

    75

    50

    Vision color vision

    100

    Climbing

    10

    Vision depth perception

    100

    Driving

    Vision peripheral vision

    100

    Grasping

    20

    Vision ability to adjust focus

    100

    Hearing

    100

    Stooping

    90

    Lifting

    70

    50

    Walking

    100

    Pulling

    90

    50

    Writing/Typing

    100

    Pushing

    90

    50

    Speaking

    100

    Reaching

    90

    Fine Motor Skills

    100

    Sitting

    15

    Use of Hands

    100

    Standing

    85

    Other (please describe)

    Location: Works in normal surgical environment. Travel to other CVP locations may be necessary to fulfill essential duties and responsibilities of the job. Thus, those needing to travel for work must have access to dependable transportation, and driving record must meet company liability carrier standards.

    Exposure: This position will require the person to work various hours as the surgery center is open from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Position may be exposed to blood or bodily fluids. May also be exposed to various cleaning supplies.

    Equipment: Blood pressure cuff, Easylyte machine, hemoglobin machine, Accucheck monitor, oxygen tanks, computer, copier, telephone, fax machine, and coffee machine. Other equipment may be used as needed. Must be able to work with precise tools and equipment; must have dexterity to use these items correctly and safely. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) follows standard precautions using personal protective equipment.

    DISCLAIMER

    This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the current scope of the job and the general nature and level of work performed by current job holder(s) within this job. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position. CVP reserves the right to change the expectations of the job and assign or reassign duties and responsibilities at any time.

    This job description is merely a summary and in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the incumbent. Requirements represent minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an at-will employment relationship.

  5. Post your job

    To find surgical aides for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any surgical aides they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level surgical aides with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your surgical aide job on Zippia to find and recruit surgical aide 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

    To successfully recruit surgical aides, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 surgical aide

    Once you've found the surgical aide candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new surgical aide first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  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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How much does it cost to hire a surgical aide?

There are different types of costs for hiring surgical aides. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new surgical aide employee.

You can expect to pay around $31,726 per year for a surgical aide, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for surgical aides in the US typically range between $12 and $18 an hour.

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