Surgical first assistant vs scrub nurse

The differences between surgical first assistants and scrub nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a scrub nurse has an average salary of $66,672, which is higher than the $61,480 average annual salary of a surgical first assistant.

The top three skills for a surgical first assistant include patients, visualization and patient care. The most important skills for a scrub nurse are patients, surgery site, and direct patient care.

Surgical first assistant vs scrub nurse overview

	Surgical First Assistant	Scrub Nurse
Yearly salary	$61,480	$66,672
Hourly rate	$29.56	$32.05
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	28,503	635,835
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	-	2

Surgical first assistant vs scrub nurse salary

Surgical first assistants and scrub nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Surgical First Assistant	Scrub Nurse
Average salary	$61,480	$66,672
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $92,000	Between $43,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	McAllen, TX	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between surgical first assistant and scrub nurse education

There are a few differences between a surgical first assistant and a scrub nurse in terms of educational background:

	Surgical First Assistant	Scrub Nurse
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Surgical first assistant vs scrub nurse demographics

Here are the differences between surgical first assistants' and scrub nurses' demographics:

	Surgical First Assistant	Scrub Nurse
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 9.0% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	10%	9%

Differences between surgical first assistant and scrub nurse duties and responsibilities

Surgical first assistant example responsibilities.

Manage floor, ICU and rehab in-patients as well as respond to ER and hospital consultation.
Appropriate placement and securing of retractors.
Insert and remove Foley urinary bladder catheter.
Comply with all HIPAA rules and regulations.
Hold retractors or instruments as directed by the surgeon.
Assist on total knee and hip replacements as well as fracture care.

Scrub nurse example responsibilities.

Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
Assist scrub nurse in the setup, arrangement and count of surgical equipment and sponges.
Maintain and accurately document proper counting of instruments, sponges and needles as per policy.
Include teaching at community outreach seminars and optometry seminars for patients and physicians
Provide teaching to patients and families regarding health care preparation in ambulatory/outpatient care.
Perform and participate in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Surgical first assistant vs scrub nurse skills

Common surgical first assistant skills

Patients, 14%
Visualization, 9%
Patient Care, 7%
Surgical Procedures, 7%
Surgical Technologist, 6%
Optimal Results, 4%

Common scrub nurse skills

Patients, 23%
Surgery Site, 11%
Direct Patient Care, 6%
Surgical Procedures, 6%
GYN, 5%
Ortho, 5%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Surgical First Assistant
Surgical First Assistant vs Scrub Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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