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Occupation Profile
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Occupation: Surgical Technologists Change Occupation
State: Maryland Change State
Profile Content: (content listed below) Modify Profile Content
Wages  |  Employment Trends  |  Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities  |  Tasks & Activities
Tools & Technology  |  Education & Training  |  Related Occupations
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SURGICAL TECHNOLOGISTS: MARYLAND

Occupation Description

Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeon's assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.


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Surgical Technologists
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State and National Wages

Location Pay
Period		 2009
10% 25% Median 75% 90%
United States Hourly $13.42 $15.91 $18.94 $22.74 $26.74
Yearly $27,900 $33,100 $39,400 $47,300 $55,600
Maryland Hourly $15.94 $18.45 $22.54 $28.54 $33.50
Yearly $33,200 $38,400 $46,900 $59,400 $69,700
Annual Wages for Surgical Technologists

United States - $55,600 United States - $39,400 United States - $27,900 Maryland - $69,700 Maryland - $46,900 Maryland - $33,200
  • High is the wage at which 90% of workers earn less and 10% earn more.
  • Middle is the wage at which 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more.
  • Low is the wage at which 10% of workers earn less and 90% earn more.

Hourly Wages for Surgical Technologists

United States - $26.74 United States - $18.94 United States - $13.42 Maryland - $33.5 Maryland - $22.54 Maryland - $15.94
  • High is the wage at which 90% of workers earn less and 10% earn more.
  • Middle is the wage at which 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more.
  • Low is the wage at which 10% of workers earn less and 90% earn more.

Occupation Wages FAQs

Median Wage by Occupation Across States
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National Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Survey
State Data Source: Maryland Career and Workforce Information

State and National Trends

United States Employment Percent
Change		 Job Openings 1
2008 2018
Surgical technologists 91,500 114,700 +25% 4,630
Maryland Employment Percent
Change		 Job Openings 1
2006 2016
Surgical technologists 1,510 2,200 +45% 120
1Job Openings refers to the average annual job openings due to growth and net replacement.

Note: The data for the State Employment Trends and the National Employment Trends are not directly comparable. The projections period for state data is 2006-2016, while the projections period for national data is 2008-2018.

Occupation Trends FAQs

Employment Trends by Occupation Across States
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National Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections
State Data Source: Maryland Career and Workforce Information, Office of Workforce Information and Performance

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The most important knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are listed for Surgical Technologists.

Knowledge:

  • Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Skills:

  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities:

  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Source: Occupational Information Network: Surgical Technologists.

Tasks and Activities

Occupation specific tasks and the most important generalized work activities are listed for Surgical Technologists.

Occupation Specific Tasks:

  • Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card.
  • Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
  • Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
  • Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
  • Maintain files and records of surgical procedures.
  • Maintain supply of fluids, such as plasma, saline, blood and glucose, for use during operations.
  • Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.
  • Observe patients' vital signs to assess physical condition.
  • Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, and diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation.
  • Order surgical supplies.
  • Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery.
  • Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
  • Prepare, care for and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
  • Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses and anesthesiologists.
  • Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
  • Wash and sterilize equipment using germicides and sterilizers.

Generalized Work Activities:

  • Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities:

  • apply appropriate physical restraint
  • communicate technical information
  • follow infectious materials procedures
  • follow patient observation procedures
  • hand instruments or materials to doctor
  • identify body response variations
  • inventory medical supplies or instruments
  • lift or transport ill or injured patients
  • make presentations on health or medical issues
  • observe patient condition
  • prepare patients for tests, therapy, or treatments
  • prepare supplies or equipment for surgery
  • take vital signs
  • understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
  • use clinical sterilizing technique
  • use emergency medical procedures
  • use hazardous materials information
  • use interpersonal communication techniques
  • use knowledge of medical terminology
  • use quality assurance techniques
  • use sanitation practices in health care settings

Source: Occupational Information Network: Surgical Technologists.

Tools and Technology

Surgical Technologists  View Detailed Report

Tools:

  • Electrosurgical or electrocautery equipment or accessories or related products - Argon beam coagulators, Digital electrosurgical units, Electrocautery equipment, Electrosurgical grounding pads, Electrosurgical monitors
  • Staplers for internal use - Hemorrhoidal circular staplers, Intestinal stapling devices, Intraluminal staplers, Linear staplers, Skin staplers
  • Surgical controller instruments - Master control units or manipulators, Remote manipulation robots, Robotic manipulators, Surgical navigation systems
  • Surgical pneumatic or battery or electric saws or drills or pin drivers or accessories - Air driver drills, Craniotome drills, Minidriver drills, Neurotome drills, Orthopedic drills
  • Surgical suction machines or vacuum extractors or ultrasonic surgical aspirators or regulators or accessories - Cavitrons, Continuous suction machines, Foot-operated suction units, Ohio suction units, Portable suction units

Technology:

  • Data base user interface and query software - Database software
  • Electronic mail software - Email software
  • Graphics or photo imaging software - Graphics software
  • Medical software - Electronic medical record EMR software, Nursing documentation software, Patient scheduling software, Patient tracking software, Supply documentation software
  • Word processing software - Word processing software

Source: Occupational Information Network: Surgical Technologists.

Education and Training

Occupation: Surgical Technologists
Most Common Educational/Training Level: Postsecondary vocational award
Related Instructional Programs:

  • Pathology/Pathologist Assistant
  • Surgical Technology/Technologist
Distribution of Educational Attainment
Occupation Percent of employees aged 25 to 44 in the occupation whose highest level of educational attainment is
Less than high school diploma High school diploma or equivalent Some college, no degree Associate's degree Bachelor's degree Master's degree Doctoral or professional degree
Surgical technologists 2.5% 27.8% 34.1% 19% 14.1% 1.4% 1.1%
Health Technologists and Technicians 1.9% 19.6% 29.5% 25.6% 19.1% 2.3% 2.1%
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical 1.2% 10.4% 15.4% 15.4% 20.7% 11.6% 25.2%
Total, All Occupations 10.7% 27.6% 20.6% 8.9% 19.4% 8.3% 4.5%

Find colleges, training schools and instructional programs for this occupation.

Find education and training programs where you can earn a certificate, diploma, or award in less than 2 years with the Short-Term Training Finder.

Access additional Education Resources in the Career Resource Library.

Use the Financial Aid Advisor to help find funds for financing education.

WIA Eligible Training Provider List: http://www.mhec.state.md.us/utilities/search_providers_all.asp

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections (Education/Training Level, Educational Attainment); National Center for Education Statistics (Typical Instructional Programs)

Related Occupation Profiles
Occupations with similar skill requirements

Web Resources

The following resources are related to occupations in the job family
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners
Health Technologists and Technicians
Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners
Health Technologists and Technicians
Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations


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