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

What is a surgical scrub technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Surgical scrub technicians are also sometimes called surgical technologists or operating room technicians. A surgical scrub tech is a member of the operating room team, and their main responsibility is to prevent surgical tools from infecting patients during a surgical procedure. As such, a surgical scrub technician will sterilize equipment, ensure the safety of all these instruments, and prepare the operating room and patient for surgery.

Once you start working in this role, you will participate in surgical procedures where you will respond to the surgeon's requests. You will be held accountable for any missing equipment, so gathering and storing the surgical instruments after a procedure is your job.

To apply, you need a high school diploma, a general education diploma (GED), or a two-year degree either in a technical school or a community college and one to two years of experience. You must possess skills like attention to detail, the ability to work independently, and accountability. The salary is $39,712 per year.

ScoreSurgical Scrub TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,701

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.3

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.43%

Asian 4.84%

Black or African American 13.24%

Hispanic or Latino 14.36%

Unknown 4.15%

White 62.98%

Gender

female 71.69%

male 28.31%

Age - 41

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 - 41

Stress level

9.3

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.2

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a surgical scrub technician

Explore surgical scrub technician education requirements

Most common surgical scrub technician degrees

Associate

40.5 %

Bachelor's

28.0 %

High School Diploma

12.5 %

Start to develop specific surgical scrub technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	25.43%
Surgical Procedures	13.97%
CPR	12.22%
HIPAA	8.50%
Surgical Equipment	7.69%

Complete relevant surgical scrub technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New surgical scrub technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a surgical scrub technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real surgical scrub technician resumes.

Research surgical scrub technician duties and responsibilities

Manage sterilization of field during surgical procedures, ensuring cleanliness and sanitation meet organization protocol.
Clamp, ligation and cutting of tissue per surgeon's directive.
Pass instruments, sponges, sutures, and needles to surgeons and their assistants.
Communicate patient status to other units including PACU, ICU, and blood bank.

Prepare your surgical scrub technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your surgical scrub technician resume.

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