{"id":25,"date":"2022-10-10T15:29:59","date_gmt":"2022-10-10T22:29:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scholarsacademy.kaiserpermanente.org\/alliedhealthscholars\/?page_id=25"},"modified":"2025-08-26T11:58:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T18:58:28","slug":"surgical-technologist","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/scholarsacademy.kaiserpermanente.org\/alliedhealthscholars\/career-pathways\/surgical-technologist\/","title":{"rendered":"Surgical Technologist"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row css_animation=”fadeIn” full_width=”stretch_row_content” full_height=”yes” columns_placement=”bottom” remove_bottom_col_margin=”true” wpex_post_thumbnail_bg=”true” el_class=”event-intro bg-mid-blue bg-dark” el_id=”image-large-1″][vc_column css_animation=”none”][vc_row_inner columns_right=”yes” el_class=”details”][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUpBig”]\n

Surgical Technologist<\/h1>\n

Surgical technologists are allied health professionals and essential members of the surgical team.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text]Learn more<\/span><\/a> Careers<\/span><\/a> FAQs<\/span><\/a> [\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”slideInLeft” full_width=”stretch_row” content_placement=”middle” full_height=”yes” remove_bottom_col_margin=”true” el_class=”header-imagebg” css=”.vc_custom_1673033214780{background-image: url(https:\/\/scholarsacademy.kaiserpermanente.org\/alliedhealthscholars\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/961312390_Getty_RF_HiRes-scaled.jpg?id=151) !important;}” el_id=”overview”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][\/vc_column][vc_column css_animation=”slideInUp” width=”1\/2″][vc_row_inner remove_bottom_col_margin=”true”][vc_column_inner el_class=”boxed”][vc_column_text]What does a surgical technologist do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Surgical technologists are allied health professionals and essential members of the surgical team. Duties include preparing the operating room for surgery, helping surgeons during surgery by passing instruments and other sterile supplies, helping to prepare patients for surgery, and other important patient safety duties. Most surgical technologists perform their responsibilities on their feet and work in hospitals.<\/p>\n

Surgical technologists typically need an associate degree, and some employers may require certification such as the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST). For assistance in locating a Surgical Technology program, please visit our Resources<\/a> page or contact us<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Career advancement: Surgical technologists can choose to advance their career by a move into leadership, by becoming post-secondary teachers in the field, or by expanding into other areas of health care such as nursing.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”slideInLeft” full_width=”stretch_row” content_placement=”middle” full_height=”yes” remove_bottom_col_margin=”true” el_class=”header-imagebg header-imagebg-rt” css=”.vc_custom_1673375931883{background-image: url(https:\/\/scholarsacademy.kaiserpermanente.org\/alliedhealthscholars\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/1147637179_Getty_RF_HiRes-scaled.jpg?id=150) !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_row_inner remove_bottom_col_margin=”true”][vc_column_inner el_class=”boxed”][vc_column_text css=””]Timeline<\/strong>: <\/strong>A typical surgical technologist program can take between 13 and 24 months, depending on previous education, the school, externship hours needed, and the time it takes to sit for the certification exam.<\/p>\n

Outlook:<\/strong> Overall employment of surgical technologists is projected to grow 6% from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Nationally, the median annual wage for surgical technologists was $62,480 in 2024.1<\/sup><\/a> In California, the median annual wage for surgical technologists for 2021 was $80,766.2<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Educational Institutions:<\/strong> Here are a few academic institutions that offer programs for surgical technologist.<\/p>\n