Surgical Assistants
What Surgical Assistants Do
Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons. May, in accordance with state laws, help surgeons to make incisions and close surgical sites, manipulate or remove tissues, implant surgical devices or drains, suction the surgical site, place catheters, clamp or cauterize vessels or tissue, and apply dressings to surgical site.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 8.6%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Medicine and Dentistryimportance 4.2/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.0/5
- English Languageimportance 3.6/5
- Biologyimportance 3.4/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.4/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 2.9/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.7/5
- Psychologyimportance 2.6/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.9/5
- Physical Proximity4.9/5
- Contact With Others4.8/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.7/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.6/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks96% skill match
- Radiologists95% skill match
- Surveying and Mapping Technicians95% skill match
- Registered Nurses95% skill match
- Medical Dosimetrists94% skill match
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators94% skill match
- Transportation Inspectors94% skill match
- Food Preparation Workers94% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Coordinationimportance 3.4/5
- Service Orientationimportance 3.4/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.3/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.3/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.9/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Nursing documentation software
- Patient scheduling software
- Patient tracking software
- Supply documentation software
- Surgery workflow communication software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Cooperation
- Stress Tolerance
- Self-Control
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- SocialMedium
- InvestigativeMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
Specific Interests
A more detailed breakdown of this occupation’s interest profile, per O*NET.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where surgical assistants make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Florence, SC15.89× national avg
- 2Gainesville, GA4.10× national avg
- 3Oshkosh-Neenah, WI3.81× national avg
- 4Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI3.59× national avg
- 5Richmond, VA3.56× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Registered NursesAdvancement
- Fire Inspectors and InvestigatorsCareer Change
- Medical DosimetristsAdvancement
- Detectives and Criminal InvestigatorsCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist
- Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale (Fort Lauderdale, FL)grads earn ~$61,608
- Santa Rosa Junior College (Santa Rosa, CA)
- Victor Valley College (Victorville, CA)grads earn ~$119,604
- Meridian Institute of Surgical Assisting (Nashville, TN)grads earn ~$79,119
- Smith Chason College (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$64,611