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The differences between surgical technicians and surgical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a surgical technician has an average salary of $52,193, which is higher than the $52,170 average annual salary of a surgical assistant.
The top three skills for a surgical technician include patients, surgical technologist and surgical procedures. The most important skills for a surgical assistant are patients, surgical procedures, and patient care.
| Surgical Technician | Surgical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $52,193 | $52,170 |
| Hourly rate | $25.09 | $25.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 70,920 | 28,138 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 30% |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 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.
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.
Surgical technicians and surgical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surgical Technician | Surgical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $52,193 | $52,170 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $77,000 | Between $35,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | St. Tammany Health System | Baptist Health Care |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a surgical technician and a surgical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Surgical Technician | Surgical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 30% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Connecticut | - |
Here are the differences between surgical technicians' and surgical assistants' demographics:
| Surgical Technician | Surgical Assistant | |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4% | Male, 20.7% Female, 79.3% |
| 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, 10.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 9.1% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 10% |