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.
- O*NET-SOC code
29-9093.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$66,800
Employment, U.S.22,270
Median hourly wage$32.11
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39,690 | $50,170 | $66,800 | $88,010 | $107,610 |
By state (44)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 470 | $41,710 | 1.55 |
| Alaska | 60 | $61,210 | 1.19 |
| Arizona | $111,170 | ||
| Arkansas | 80 | $49,600 | 0.43 |
| California | 1,210 | $62,540 | 0.47 |
| Colorado | $107,440 | ||
| Connecticut | 320 | $67,580 | 1.32 |
| District of Columbia | 90 | $123,390 | 0.89 |
| Florida | 1,260 | $62,550 | 0.89 |
| Georgia | 840 | $49,520 | 1.21 |
| Hawaii | 70 | $54,190 | 0.83 |
| Idaho | $56,460 | ||
| Illinois | 2,300 | $80,210 | 2.63 |
| Indiana | 690 | $56,620 | 1.51 |
| Iowa | 30 | $66,030 | 0.15 |
| Kansas | 180 | $57,810 | 0.88 |
| Kentucky | 480 | $84,600 | 1.69 |
| Maryland | 670 | $58,130 | 1.69 |
| Massachusetts | $56,430 | ||
| Michigan | 560 | $56,430 | 0.89 |
| Minnesota | 360 | $75,950 | 0.86 |
| Mississippi | 120 | $50,810 | 0.70 |
| Missouri | 510 | $49,400 | 1.22 |
| Montana | 100 | $67,370 | 1.31 |
| Nebraska | 80 | $53,190 | 0.56 |
| Nevada | 230 | $100,820 | 1.03 |
| New Hampshire | 130 | $77,670 | 1.37 |
| New Jersey | $90,710 | ||
| New Mexico | 130 | $62,010 | 1.06 |
| New York | 470 | $60,070 | 0.34 |
| North Carolina | 670 | $59,920 | 0.95 |
| Ohio | 970 | $77,450 | 1.21 |
| Oklahoma | 220 | $40,160 | 0.90 |
| Oregon | 220 | $80,450 | 0.77 |
| Pennsylvania | 240 | $60,550 | 0.28 |
| Rhode Island | $61,900 | ||
| South Carolina | 480 | $85,580 | 1.45 |
| Tennessee | 750 | $81,640 | 1.60 |
| Texas | 2,840 | $64,930 | 1.41 |
| Utah | 290 | $44,990 | 1.16 |
| Virginia | 1,000 | $78,910 | 1.69 |
| Washington | 100 | $65,440 | 0.20 |
| West Virginia | 280 | $50,870 | 2.74 |
| Wisconsin | 810 | $78,030 | 1.93 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surgical Technologists | 3 | 0.962 |
| 2 | Dental Hygienists | 3 | 0.953 |
| 3 | Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 3 | 0.951 |
| 4 | Anesthesiologist Assistants | 5 | 0.947 |
| 5 | Endoscopy Technicians | 1-2 | 0.947 |
| 6 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | 3 | 0.946 |
| 7 | Critical Care Nurses | 4 | 0.945 |
| 8 | Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | 3 | 0.943 |
| 9 | Prosthodontists | 5 | 0.941 |
| 10 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | 5 | 0.939 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Surgical Assistants, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | Social Perceptiveness | 0.87 | 0.933 |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologists | Science | 0.88 | 0.923 |
| Animal Trainers | Learning Strategies | 0.76 | 0.910 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Surgical Assistants, excluding software Surgical Assistants already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| eClinicalWorks EHR software | 9 of 20 | 8.7x |
| Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR | 4 of 20 | 10.3x |
| Cerner Millennium | 3 of 20 | 15.4x |
| Henry Schein Dentrix | 3 of 20 | 11.5x |
| Patient management software | 3 of 20 | 11.5x |
| Epic Systems | 5 of 20 | 3.7x |
| Practice management software PMS | 3 of 20 | 8.7x |
| GE Healthcare Centricity EMR | 3 of 20 | 6.3x |
| Scheduling software | 4 of 20 | 2.6x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.12 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.88 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.88 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Dentistry | 4.21 | 5.86 |
| Education and Training | 3.90 | 5.02 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.30 | 3.17 |
| English Language | 3.22 | 3.08 |
| Biology | 3.08 | 4.24 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.00 | 3.68 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.87 | 3.25 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.85 | 2.75 |
| Physics | 2.82 | 2.87 |
| Administration and Management | 2.82 | 2.03 |
| Psychology | 2.81 | 3.90 |
| Chemistry | 2.68 | 2.60 |
| Mathematics | 2.67 | 2.83 |
| Production and Processing | 2.59 | 2.44 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.49 | 2.13 |
| Mechanical | 2.48 | 2.51 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.42 | 2.14 |
| Design | 2.32 | 2.09 |
| Telecommunications | 2.31 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 2.23 | 3.23 |
| Law and Government | 2.22 | 2.08 |
| Communications and Media | 2.22 | 1.89 |
| Administrative | 2.19 | 2.26 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.03 | 1.53 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.94 | 1.77 |
| Building and Construction | 1.65 | not rated |
| Transportation | 1.54 | not rated |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.53 | 0.93 |
| Geography | 1.44 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.44 | 0.59 |
| History and Archeology | 1.03 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.02 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Near Vision | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Finger Dexterity | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Oral Expression | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Control Precision | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Information Ordering | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Selective Attention | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Written Expression | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Reaction Time | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Visualization | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Static Strength | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Far Vision | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Memorization | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Sharing | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Originality | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Depth Perception | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Number Facility | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Explosive Strength | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Stamina | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.38 | 2.62 |
| Rate Control | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Response Orientation | 2.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.25 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.25 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.12 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- MEDITECH software hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Nursing documentation software
- Patient scheduling software
- Patient tracking software
- Supply documentation software
- Surgery workflow communication software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence, SC | 200 | 15.89 | $133,380 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 420 | 3.59 | $81,690 |
| Richmond, VA | 340 | 3.56 | $51,030 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 110 | 3.26 | $65,910 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 2,090 | 3.23 | $80,210 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 110 | 2.95 | $77,570 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 130 | 2.95 | $77,980 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 100 | 2.48 | $102,330 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 270 | 2.47 | $99,530 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 340 | 2.19 | $87,080 |