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The differences between surgical assistants and scrub technicians 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 $38,718 average annual salary of a scrub technician.
The top three skills for a surgical assistant include patients, surgical procedures and patient care. The most important skills for a scrub technician are patients, BLS, and surgical procedures.
| Surgical Assistant | Scrub Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $52,170 | $38,718 |
| Hourly rate | $25.08 | $18.61 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 28,138 | 71,220 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
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.
Scrub technicians are surgical technologists who are responsible for assisting surgeons and the surgical team in the operating room. These technicians must set out and sterilize the necessary instruments while helping each member of the surgical team put on their gloves and gowns during a surgical procedure. They are required to pass instruments, sponges, and dressings to the surgeon throughout the procedure. Scrub technicians must also ensure that the operating room and reusable instruments are clean before and after each surgery.
Surgical assistants and scrub technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surgical Assistant | Scrub Technician | |
| Average salary | $52,170 | $38,718 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $76,000 | Between $30,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | White Plains, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Baptist Health Care | Lawrence General Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a surgical assistant and a scrub technician in terms of educational background:
| Surgical Assistant | Scrub Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | - | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between surgical assistants' and scrub technicians' demographics:
| Surgical Assistant | Scrub Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.7% Female, 79.3% | Male, 20.5% Female, 79.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 10% | 13% |