Occupation Summary

Surgical Assistants

O*NET 29-9093.00

Description:

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.

Annual Wages:
$75,808.00
Employment Rate:
Employment is expected to increase by 15.64%.
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. Adjust and maintain operating room temperature, humidity, or lighting, according to surgeon's specifications.
  2. Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers.
  3. Assess skin integrity or other body conditions upon completion of the procedure to determine if damage has occurred from body positioning.
  4. Assist in the insertion, positioning, or suturing of closed-wound drainage systems.
  5. Assist members of surgical team with gowning or gloving.
  6. Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment.
  7. Coordinate or participate in the positioning of patients, using body stabilizing equipment or protective padding to provide appropriate exposure for the procedure or to protect against nerve damage or circulation impairment.
  8. Coordinate with anesthesia personnel to maintain patient temperature.
  9. Discuss with surgeon the nature of the surgical procedure, including operative consent, methods of operative exposure, diagnostic or laboratory data, or patient-advanced directives or other needs.
  10. Incise tissue layers in lower extremities to harvest veins.
  11. Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
  12. Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
  13. Monitor patient intra-operative status, including patient position, vital signs, or volume and color of blood.
  14. Postoperatively inject a subcutaneous local anesthetic agent to reduce pain.
  15. Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.
  16. Assist in applying casts, splints, braces, or similar devices.
  17. Assist in volume replacement or autotransfusion techniques.
  18. Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events.
  19. Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field.
  20. Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures.
  21. Gather, arrange, or assemble instruments or supplies.
  22. Insert or remove urinary bladder catheters.
  23. Obtain or inspect sterile or non-sterile surgical equipment, instruments, or supplies.
  24. Operate sterilizing devices.
  25. Pass instruments or supplies to surgeon during procedure.
  26. Remove patient hair or disinfect incision sites to prepare patient for surgery.
  27. Transport patients to operating room.
  28. Verify the identity of patient or operative site.


National Industry Employment Patterns


Industry % of Surgical Assistants employed Annual Growth Rate
General medical and surgical hospitals 42.7 0.35
Offices of dentists 23.9 0.62
Offices of physicians 19.4 0.26
Outpatient care centers 4.9 0.96


Labor Market Information


2024 Statewide average hourly wage $36.45
2024 National average hourly wage $32.30
2022 National employment 19,700
2022 Texas employment 1,841
Texas projected employment by 2032 2,129
Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2032 149




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
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.
84.40%
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.
79.40%
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
71.80%
Biology
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
67.60%
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.
67.20%
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
58.00%
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.
53.60%
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.
51.60%
Therapy and Counseling
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
51.20%
Mechanical
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
51.00%


Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas Relevant Importance Levels
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.
80.00%
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
75.00%
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
72.40%
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
72.40%
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
72.40%
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
67.60%
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
67.60%
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
65.00%
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
65.00%
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
62.40%


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.
82.40%
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.
80.00%
Finger Dexterity
The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
80.00%
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
80.00%
Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
77.60%
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.
77.60%
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
77.60%
Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
75.00%
Speech Recognition
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
75.00%
Visual Color Discrimination
The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
75.00%


  • Assisting and Caring for Others
    -- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    -- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    -- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    -- Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Getting Information
    -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Other Activities


  • Achievement
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
  • 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.



Tools

Autotransfusion units: Cell savers;

Blanket or solution warmer cabinets: Blanket warmer cabinets;

Blood warming or transfusion systems: Blood warming equipment;

Cardiac output CO monitoring units: Cardiac monitoring equipment;

Cardiac pacemaker generators or cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers CRT-P: Heart pacemakers;

Cast cutters or saws: Cast cutting saws;

Chemical or gas sterilizers: Ethylene oxide sterilizers;

Desktop computers: Desktop computers;

Diagnostic or interventional vascular catheters for general use: Angiocaths;

Electronic medical thermometers: Telethermometers;

Electrosurgical or electrocautery equipment: Cauterizing equipment; Argon beam coagulators;

Endoscopic hemostatic balloons or needles or tubes or accessories: Hemostat clamps;

Endoscopic instrument sets: Fiberoptic endoscopes;

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

Eyemagnets for ophthalmic surgery: Eye magnets;

Goggles: Surgical protective goggles;

Hospital intercom systems: Hospital intercom equipment;

Hypodermic injection apparatus: Subcutaneous injection syringes;

Intravenous or arterial fluid warmers: Fluid warmers;

Intravenous tubing with catheter administration kits: Intravenous IV sets;

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

Laparoscopes or laparoscopic telescopes: Laparoscopes;

Medical carts: Anesthesia carts;

Medical imaging dry laser printers or imagers: Medical image processing printers;

Medical staff isolation or cover gowns: Sterile gowns;

Medical staplers for internal use: Medical staple kits;

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

Notebook computers: Laptop computers;

Operating room patient fracture tables or orthopedic tables: Surgical fracture tables;

Operating room patient positioning devices for general use: Patient positioning devices; Head stabilizers; Body stabilizers;

Operating room patient procedure tables: C-arm tables;

Pagers: Pagers;

Patient stretchers: Patient transport stretchers;

Personal computers: Personal computers;

Special purpose telephones: Multi-line telephone systems;

Specimen collection container: Specimen collection containers;

Steam autoclaves or sterilizers: Flash sterilizers; Pressure steam autoclaves;

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

Surgical dermatomes or dermabraders or dermameshers: Surgical dermatomes;

Surgical drains or drain sets: Wound drains;

Surgical drapes: Sterile drapes;

Surgical gloves: Surgical gloves;

Surgical isolation or surgical masks: Surgical masks;

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

Surgical nerve stimulators: Nerve stimulators;

Surgical pneumatic or battery or electric saws or drills or pin drivers: Powered surgical drills;

Surgical pneumatic or electric tourniquets: Pneumatic tourniquets;

Surgical power equipment sets: Surgical robots;

Surgical retractors: Surgical retractors;

Surgical scalpels or knives or blades or trephines: Surgical scalpels;

Surgical shave kits or prep razors or clippers: Surgical razors;

Surgical suction machine or vacuum extractor or ultrasonic surgical aspirator: Suction machines;

Surgical trocars for general use: Surgical trocars;

Suturing kits or trays or packs or sets: Suture kits;

Therapeutic heating or cooling units or systems: Hypothermia units;

Urinary catheterization kits: Urinary catheters;


Technology

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

Office suite software: Microsoft Office software;

Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint;

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel;

Word processing software: Word processing software;


Related O*NET occupational titles for Surgical Assistants include:
  • 29-1071.01 Anesthesiologist Assistants
  • 29-2031.00 Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
  • 29-2042.00 Emergency Medical Technicians
  • 29-2061.00 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
  • 31-9092.00 Medical Assistants
  • 31-1131.00 Nursing Assistants
  • 29-2057.00 Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
  • 29-2043.00 Paramedics
  • 29-1126.00 Respiratory Therapists
  • 29-2055.00 Surgical Technologists


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.