Surgical assistant demographics and statistics in the US
Surgical assistant demographics research summary. Zippia estimates surgical assistant demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our surgical assistant estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about surgical assistants after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 17,022 surgical assistants currently employed in the United States.
- 79.3% of all surgical assistants are women, while 20.7% are men.
- The average surgical assistant age is 43 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of surgical assistants is White (56.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.0%), Black or African American (10.9%) and Asian (9.1%).
- Surgical assistants are most in-demand in Cincinnati, OH.
- The utilities industry is the highest-paying for surgical assistants.
- 10% of all surgical assistants are LGBT.
On this page
Surgical assistant demographics by:
Surgical assistant gender statistics
79.3% of surgical assistants are women and 20.7% of surgical assistants are men.
- Female, 79.3%
- Male, 20.7%
Surgical assistant gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 79.3% |
| Male | 20.7% |
Surgical assistant gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$56,923
Female income
$53,751
Surgical assistant gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in surgical assistant positions over time. Currently, 79.3% of surgical assistants are female.
Surgical assistant gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 20.01% | 79.99% |
| 2011 | 19.10% | 80.90% |
| 2012 | 19.57% | 80.43% |
| 2013 | 20.03% | 79.97% |
| 2014 | 19.46% | 80.54% |
| 2015 | 17.87% | 82.13% |
| 2016 | 20.60% | 79.40% |
| 2017 | 20.91% | 79.09% |
| 2018 | 18.25% | 81.75% |
| 2019 | 22.32% | 77.68% |
| 2020 | 22.01% | 77.99% |
| 2021 | 20.67% | 79.33% |
Surgical assistant related jobs gender ratio
We compared surgical assistants with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, guitar technician and armorer technician have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Radiographer, Mammographer | 2% | 98% |
| Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Lead Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Surgical Assistant | 21% | 79% |
| Driver/Technician | 93% | 7% |
| Armorer Technician | 95% | 5% |
| Guitar Technician | 96% | 4% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Surgical assistant demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among surgical assistants is White, which makes up 56.2% of all surgical assistants. Comparatively, 18.0% of surgical assistants are Hispanic or Latino and 10.9% of surgical assistants are Black or African American.
- White, 56.2%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.0%
- Black or African American, 10.9%
- Asian, 9.1%
- Unknown, 5.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Surgical assistant race
| Surgical assistant race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 56.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.0% |
| Black or African American | 10.9% |
| Asian | 9.1% |
| Unknown | 5.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
Surgical assistant race and ethnicity over time
See how surgical assistant racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Surgical assistant race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 61.95% | 14.39% | 6.41% | 13.58% |
| 2011 | 60.44% | 14.31% | 7.12% | 15.25% |
| 2012 | 61.37% | 12.79% | 7.53% | 16.08% |
| 2013 | 61.98% | 13.32% | 6.63% | 14.68% |
| 2014 | 60.09% | 14.16% | 7.09% | 14.97% |
| 2015 | 58.64% | 12.40% | 8.07% | 17.38% |
| 2016 | 58.66% | 13.45% | 7.80% | 16.63% |
| 2017 | 56.91% | 14.49% | 8.90% | 16.34% |
| 2018 | 61.19% | 10.37% | 8.99% | 16.42% |
| 2019 | 61.62% | 9.75% | 9.37% | 16.35% |
| 2020 | 59.39% | 9.32% | 7.92% | 17.51% |
| 2021 | 56.22% | 10.90% | 9.07% | 18.05% |
Surgical assistant wage gap by race
According to our data, white surgical assistants have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american surgical assistants have the lowest average salary at $54,615.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $58,252 |
| White | $58,424 |
| Black or African American | $54,615 |
| Asian | $56,672 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $56,735 |
Average surgical assistant age
See how the average age of surgical assistants varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Surgical assistant age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 45.5 | 47.5 |
| White | 46 | 42 |
| Black or African American | 42 | 44.5 |
| Asian | 41 | 41 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 42 | 36.5 |
Surgical assistant age breakdown
The average age of surgical assistants is 40+ years years old, representing 59% of the surgical assistant population.
Surgical assistant age breakdown
| Surgical Assistant Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 59% |
| 30-40 years | 27% |
| 20-30 years | 14% |
Surgical assistant educational attainment
The most common degree for surgical assistants is bachelor's degree, with 30% of surgical assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 11%.
- Bachelor's, 30%
- Associate, 27%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 23%
Surgical assistants by degree level
| Surgical assistant degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 30% |
| Associate | 27% |
| High School Diploma | 11% |
| Diploma | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 23% |
Surgical assistant jobs you might like
Surgical assistant wage gap by degree level
According to the data, surgical assistants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $71,544 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, surgical assistants earn a median annual income of $59,418 compared to $52,293 for surgical assistants with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $71,544 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $46,751 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $59,418 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,293 |
Surgical assistant employment statistics
Most surgical assistants work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where surgical assistants work
Below, you can see the size of companies where surgical assistants work.
Surgical assistant jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 17% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 21% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 31% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Surgical assistant jobs by company type
Employees with the surgical assistant job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most surgical assistants prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Surgical assistant jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 7% |
| Public | 4% |
| Private | 83% |
| Government | 6% |
Surgical assistant jobs by industry
The most common industries for surgical assistants are health care, manufacturing and professional.
Surgical assistant industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 68% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Education | 5% |
| Government | 5% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Surgical assistant turnover and employment statistics
Surgical assistant unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for surgical assistants between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Surgical assistant unemployment rate by year
| Year | Surgical assistant unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.02% |
| 2011 | 4.10% |
| 2012 | 4.16% |
| 2013 | 4.04% |
| 2014 | 3.59% |
| 2015 | 2.79% |
| 2016 | 2.53% |
| 2017 | 1.74% |
| 2018 | 1.79% |
| 2019 | 1.97% |
| 2020 | 3.67% |
| 2021 | 3.03% |
Average surgical assistant tenure
The average surgical assistant stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 6,690 surgical assistants resumes in Zippia's database.
Surgical assistant tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 18% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Surgical assistant LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of surgical assistants that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist Cashier/Technician | 5.02% | 105,773 |
| Laboratory Technician | 8.24% | 84,357 |
| Records And Information Manager | 9.29% | 62,494 |
| Surgical Assistant | 9.57% | - |
| Optical Technician | 12.53% | 29,866 |
| Obstetrics Technician | 12.80% | 55,214 |
| Nuclear Medical Technologist | 21.93% | 92,029 |
Similar surgical assistant jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist Cashier/Technician | 5.02% | 105,773 |
| Laboratory Technician | 8.24% | 84,357 |
| Records And Information Manager | 9.29% | 62,494 |
| Optical Technician | 12.53% | 29,866 |
| Obstetrics Technician | 12.80% | 55,214 |
| Nuclear Medical Technologist | 21.93% | 92,029 |
Foreign languages spoken by surgical assistants
The most common foreign language among surgical assistants is Spanish at 62.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.3% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 3.7%.
- Spanish, 62.1%
- French, 6.3%
- Arabic, 3.7%
- Russian, 3.2%
- Italian, 3.2%
- Other, 21.5%
Surgical assistant languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 62.1% |
| French | 6.3% |
| Arabic | 3.7% |
| Russian | 3.2% |
| Italian | 3.2% |
| Other | 21.5% |
