Surgical Assistants
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Under a surgeon's supervision, you verify the patient and site, drape the body, keep the field sterile, and help position the patient with pads so the site is exposed and nerves and circulation stay protected. During the case you retract, sponge, and suction; as state law allows, you may help with incisions, clamp or cauterize vessels, place drains or catheters, and close layers with sutures or staples. You apply sterile dressings after, and you discuss the procedure, consent, and lab data with the surgeon. Fits people who want precise, hands-on sterile work and close coordination with a surgical team.
Typical education: Associate’s Degree (2-year)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$66'800
Median Wage Market Position
$66'800
What you might do
- Keep the incision visible with retractors and suction
- Close wounds with sutures, staples, or clips
- Drape patients to keep the field sterile
- Position patients with pads and supports
- Confirm the patient and the surgical site
- Apply sterile dressings after the procedure
Skills that matter
- Monitoring sterile technique throughout surgery
- Confirming the patient and operative site
- Positioning patients to protect nerves and circulation
- Holding retractors and suctioning the field
- Closing wounds with sutures or staples
- Reviewing the procedure plan with the surgeon
AI & the future of this role
Operating-room work depends on sterile technique, instrument handling, and real-time tissue management that automation is unlikely to fully absorb. Licensing, liability, and close surgeon supervision also tend to keep human support essential as planning tools improve.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details