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The differences between surgical technicians and anesthesia technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a surgical technician and an anesthesia technician. Additionally, a surgical technician has an average salary of $52,193, which is higher than the $39,640 average annual salary of an anesthesia technician.
The top three skills for a surgical technician include patients, surgical technologist and surgical procedures. The most important skills for an anesthesia technician are patients, patient care, and BLS.
| Surgical Technician | Anesthesia Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $52,193 | $39,640 |
| Hourly rate | $25.09 | $19.06 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 70,920 | 78,132 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A Surgical Technician is an essential member of a medical operating team. They serve as an additional hand of a surgeon. Surgical Technicians have the vital responsibility of assisting surgeons during operations, such as passing and providing instruments and tools such as Graspers, Clasps, Suction, and more. Furthermore, Surgical Technicians are also responsible for preparing all of the required surgical devices and instruments, making sure they are all up to the standards of hospital and medical regulations. And post-surgery, their duties include applying bandages to a patient and even cleaning the operating room.
Anesthesia technicians are healthcare professionals who oversee activities related to anesthetics. They administer anesthesia to patients and assist doctors in related activities. They also monitor the patient after the anesthesia is administered to ensure that no harmful side effects occurred. Anesthesia technicians are expected to know how to test for anesthetic allergies and to spot signs of such allergies. They should be familiar with the different techniques, solutions, and equipment used for anesthetic procedures. Aside from those, anesthesia technicians are also expected to manage the inventory of anesthetic solutions and to trigger purchase requests for new stocks.
Surgical technicians and anesthesia technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surgical Technician | Anesthesia Technician | |
| Average salary | $52,193 | $39,640 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $77,000 | Between $30,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | St. Tammany Health System | Children's Hospital Los Angeles |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between a surgical technician and an anesthesia technician in terms of educational background:
| Surgical Technician | Anesthesia Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Connecticut | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between surgical technicians' and anesthesia technicians' demographics:
| Surgical Technician | Anesthesia Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4% | Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 13% | 13% |