Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · Holland code RCS
Surgical Assistants
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.
Also called: CSFA (Certified Surgical First Assistant), RNFA (Registered Nurse First Assistant), Surgical First Assistant, Surgical Technician (Surgical Tech), Certified Surgical Technician (Certified Surgical Tech), CRNFA (Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant), CSA (Certified Surgical Assistant), GI Technician (Gastrointestinal Technician).
O*NET 29-9093.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $66,800
- Middle half earn $50,170 to $88,010. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
- Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
- Pass instruments or supplies to surgeon during procedure.
- Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events.
- Verify the identity of patient or operative site.
- Obtain or inspect sterile or non-sterile surgical equipment, instruments, or supplies.
- Assist members of surgical team with gowning or gloving.
- Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening4.0 / 5
- Speaking3.8 / 5
- Reading Comprehension3.6 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.6 / 5
- Monitoring3.6 / 5
- Writing3.1 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry4.2 / 5
- Education and Training3.9 / 5
- Public Safety and Security3.3 / 5
- English Language3.2 / 5
- Biology3.1 / 5
- Customer and Personal Service3.0 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic78
- Investigative41
- Artistic0
- Social47
- Enterprising13
- Conventional57
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- podiatry assistant · DE Podologieassistent/Podologieassistentin · FR assistant podologue/assistante podologue
- clinical perfusion scientist · DE Fachassistent Herz-Kreislauf-Funktionsdiagnostik/Fachassistentin Herz-Kreislauf-Funktionsdiagnostik · FR perfusionniste clinique
- maternity support worker · DE Assistent in der Geburtshilfe/Assistentin in der Geburtshilfe · FR assistant en maternité/assistante en maternité
- veterinary technician · DE tiermedizinischer Fachangestellter/tiermedizinische Fachangestellte · FR technicien vétérinaire/technicienne vétérinaire
- doctors' surgery assistant · DE Medizinischer Fachangestellter/Medizinische Fachangestellte · FR assistant en cabinet médical/assistante en cabinet médical
- anaesthetic technician · DE Anästhesietechnischer Assistent/Anästhesietechnische Assistentin · FR infirmier anesthésiste/infirmière anesthésiste
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Occupational therapists (2222)56,000 employed
- Podiatrists (2256)16,200 employed
- Veterinary nurses (3240)26,600 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €50,992 |
| Austria | €46,986 |
| Germany | €44,473 |
| Netherlands | €42,448 |
| Ireland | €41,613 |
| Sweden | €41,155 |
| Italy | €34,882 |
| France | €34,816 |
| Spain | €29,757 |
| Portugal | €18,080 |
| Poland | €12,108 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
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