Occupation Summary

Surgical Technologists

O*NET 29-2055.00

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 surgeons' assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.

Annual Wages:
$62,939.00
Employment Rate:
Employment is expected to increase by 15.44%.
Education Level:
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree). According to O*Net, the majority of people employed in this occupation have this level of education.
Endorsement:
Public Service, Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM)

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


National Industry Employment Patterns


Industry % of Surgical Technologists employed Annual Growth Rate
General medical and surgical hospitals 69.8 0.35
Outpatient care centers 11.9 1.64
Offices of physicians 11.5 0.31
Employment services 2 0.00


Labor Market Information


2024 Statewide average hourly wage $30.26
2024 National average hourly wage $31.64
2022 National employment 109,200
2022 Texas employment 9,197
Texas projected employment by 2032 10,617
Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2032 730




TEXAS COUNTY MAP BY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA
* Due to confidentiality rules, not all regions may have the data displayed. The sum of all the regions may not be equal to the state total.


Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas Relevant Importance Levels
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.
74.60%
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.
74.20%
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
69.00%
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.
62.00%
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.
57.40%
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.
57.40%
Biology
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
56.00%
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
54.00%
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
53.20%
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
51.00%


Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
75.00%
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.
67.60%
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
65.00%
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
62.40%
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
62.40%
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
62.40%
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
62.40%
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
60.00%
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
60.00%
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
60.00%


Top 10 Relevant Abilities Relevant Importance Levels
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
80.00%
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 that there is a problem.
75.00%
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
75.00%
Speech Recognition
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
72.40%
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.
70.00%
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.
67.60%
Selective Attention
The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
67.60%
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
65.00%
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).
65.00%
Perceptual Speed
The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
65.00%


  • Getting Information
    -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Assisting and Caring for Others
    -- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Handling and Moving Objects
    -- Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    -- Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    -- Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Other Activities


  • Relationships
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
  • Support
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.



Tools

Autotransfusion units: Autotransfusion systems; Cell savers;

Central venous catheters: Central venous catheters;

Chemical or gas sterilizers: Ethylene oxide sterilizers; Sterad machines;

Coronary stents: Cardiovascular stents;

Cryosurgery units: Cryo units; Cryo-ophthalmic units;

Desktop computers: Desktop computers;

Electronic blood pressure units: Electronic blood pressure cuffs;

Electrosurgical or electrocautery equipment: Digital electrosurgical units; Electrocautery equipment; Electrosurgical grounding pads; Electrosurgical monitors; Electrosurgical units; Argon beam coagulators; Spark-gap electrosurgical units; Thermal cautery units;

Endoscopic clamp or dissector or grasper or forceps: Graspers;

Endoscopic equipment or procedure carts: Endoscopy equipment;

Endoscopic video cameras or recorders or adapters or accessories: Endoscopic camera/video systems;

Eyemagnets for ophthalmic surgery: Eye magnets;

Gas anesthesia apparatus or machines: Anesthesia machines;

General surgical instrument sets: Autologous blood recovery systems;

General surgical supply set accessories: Remote manipulation robots; Robotic manipulators; Master control units or manipulators;

Heart and lung machines: Coronary bypass pumps;

Instrument tables for surgical or obstetrical delivery use: Motorized lift tables; Adjustable height instrument tables; Instrument tables;

Intravenous or arterial fluid warmers: Blood/fluid warmers;

Lap mayo trays or mayo stands for surgical use: Mayo stands;

Laparoscopes or laparoscopic telescopes: Laparoscopes;

Medical cinefluoroscopy units: Fluoroscopy equipment;

Medical equipment and instrument disinfectant washing equipment: Washer sanitizers;

Medical exam or surgical headlights or headlamps: Fiber optic luminators;

Medical imaging dry laser printers or imagers: Medical imagining laser printers; Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine DICOM diagnostic medical printers;

Medical picture archiving computer systems PACS: Medical image database systems;

Medical staplers for external use: Skin staplers;

Medical staplers for internal use: Linear staplers; Hemorrhoidal circular staplers; Intestinal stapling devices; Intraluminal staplers; Surgical stapling equipment;

Medical syringes without needle: Syringes;

Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph transducer accessories: Doppler ultrasound equipment;

Medical x ray units for general diagnostic use: X ray machines;

Mercury blood pressure units: Manual blood pressure units;

Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles: Defibrillators;

Notebook computers: Notebook computers;

Operating room patient fracture tables or orthopedic tables: Fracture tables; Orthopedic arm boards with drains;

Operating room patient positioning devices for general use: Positioning equipment; Cardiac leg wedges;

Oxygen insufflators: Insufflators;

Patient stretchers: Stretchers;

Personal computers: Personal computers;

Pleural cavity drainage units or containers: Chest drains;

Resuscitation kits: Pulmonary resuscitators;

Specimen collection container: Lab specimen containers;

Steam autoclaves or sterilizers: Washer sterilizers; Flash autoclaves; Autoclaves;

Sterilization cabinets: Steri-vac aeration cabinets;

Surgical clamps or clips or forceps: Surgical clamps; Surgical forceps;

Surgical dermatomes or dermabraders or dermameshers: Dermatome blades; Dermatomes;

Surgical dilators: Surgical dilators;

Surgical dissectors: Surgical dissectors;

Surgical drains or drain sets: Surgical tubing or irrigation tubing; Wound drains; Surgical drains;

Surgical drapes: Surgical drapes;

Surgical elevators or levers: Surgical elevators; Kleinert-Kutz elevators;

Surgical equipment stands: Ring stands;

Surgical instrument holders or positioners: Instrument positioning equipment;

Surgical lasers: Carbon dioxide CO2 lasers; Eye lasers; Neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet Nd:YAG lasers; Surgical lasers;

Surgical lithotripters: Lithotripters;

Surgical microscopes or loupes or magnifiers: Loupes; Microscopes;

Surgical navigation system accessories: Surgical navigation systems;

Surgical needle holders: Needle holders;

Surgical nerve stimulators: Nerve stimulators;

Surgical pneumatic or battery or electric saws or drills or pin drivers: Craniotome drills; Air driver drills; Minidriver drills; Surgical pneumatic drills; Surgical drills; Sternal saws; Neurotome drills; Orthopedic drills;

Surgical pneumatic or electric tourniquets: Pneumatic tourniquets;

Surgical power equipment sets: Robotic arms; Voice activated surgical systems; Surgical robotics equipment; Surgical robots;

Surgical probes or directors: Surgical probes;

Surgical retractors: Internal mammary artery IMA retractors; Surgical retractors; Retractors;

Surgical scalpels or knives or blades or trephines: Scalpels;

Surgical smoke evacuators: Smoke evacuators;

Surgical suction machine or vacuum extractor or ultrasonic surgical aspirator: Portable suction units; Ohio suction units; Suction machines; Surgical aspirators; Slow suction units; Foot-operated suction units; Cavitrons; Continuous suction machines;

Surgical vacuum extraction devices or curettes or related products: Vacuum extractors;

Suture needles: Suture needles;

Suturing kits or trays or packs or sets: Suturing kits; Suturing needle forceps;

Tablet computers: Tablet computers;

Therapeutic heating or cooling blankets or drapes: Warm air blankets;

Therapeutic heating or cooling units or systems: Hyper/hypothermia units;

Tourniquets: Tourniquets;

Tracheostomy tubes: Tracheostomy tubes;

Ultrasonic cleaning equipment: Ultrasonic cleaners;

Urological surgical catheter accessories: Cholangiocath catheters;

Vascular sequential compression devices or tubing: Venodynes;

Vein harvest kits or systems: Endoscopic vein harvesting equipment;

Video cassette players or recorders: Video cassette recorders VCR;

Wheelchairs: Wheelchairs;


Technology

Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Google Drive;

Data base user interface and query software: Database software;

Electronic mail software: Email software;

Graphics or photo imaging software: Graphics software;

Internet browser software: Internet browser software;

Medical software: MEDITECH software; Electronic medical record EMR software; Nursing documentation software; Patient scheduling software; Patient tracking software; Supply documentation software; Surgery workflow communication software;

Office suite software: Microsoft Office software;

Operating system software: Microsoft Windows;

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel;

Word processing software: Microsoft Word; Word processing software;


Related O*NET occupational titles for Surgical Technologists include:
  • 29-2031.00 Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
  • 29-2032.00 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
  • 31-9099.02 Endoscopy Technicians
  • 29-2011.04 Histotechnologists
  • 29-2012.00 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians
  • 31-9093.00 Medical Equipment Preparers
  • 29-2057.00 Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
  • 29-1124.00 Radiation Therapists
  • 29-2034.00 Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
  • 29-9093.00 Surgical Assistants


Contact Texas Workforce Commission
Labor Market and Career Information  |  101 E. 15th Street, Annex Room 0252  |  Austin, Texas 78778
Official Website  |  1-800-822-PLAN (7526)  |  512.936.3200

** The information in this report may be derived from many sources like O*NET, BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), OOH (Occupational Outlook Handbook), and Career One Stop.