How To Become A Surgical Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a surgical assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A surgical assistant is responsible for helping the surgeon and nurse during operations. They perform basic duties like intubating the patient, giving injections, and monitoring the patient's life signs. They also have a huge role in preparing the patient before surgery. This includes tasks like sterilizing the operating room and tools, and interviewing the patient.

As a surgical assistant, you'll be involved actively in the success of any operation. The job's demands include working for long, continuous hours for as long as the surgery may take. You'll also need to remain calm under pressure and be able to think on your feet. Surgical assistants share the stress of handling lives with surgeons and the pride of saving lives.

A surgical assistant's education involves getting a degree to become a surgical technologist. The education involves classroom and clinical lessons and usually involves courses in physiology and anatomy.

ScoreSurgical AssistantUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,170

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.5

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.71%

Asian 9.07%

Black or African American 10.90%

Hispanic or Latino 18.05%

Unknown 5.05%

White 56.22%

Gender

female 79.33%

male 20.67%

Age - 43

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 - 43

Stress level

8.5

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.3

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a surgical assistant

Explore surgical assistant education requirements

Most common surgical assistant degrees

Bachelor's

30.3 %

Associate

27.0 %

Certificate

13.0 %

Start to develop specific surgical assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	27.31%
Surgical Procedures	12.25%
Patient Care	9.36%
Vital Signs	4.85%
CPR	4.77%

Research surgical assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage medical records and document examination notes, prescriptions, and procedure details in EMR.
Manage surgical scheduling, cataract evaluations, ultrasounds, keratometry, IOL selection, and preoperative exam for surgery.
Prepare patients for examination by taking their vitals, and performing EKG when need.
Assist with all dental procedures, order all supplies, maintain equipment and OSHA handbook.

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