# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/surgical-assistants
- SOC code: 29-9093.00
- Career family: Healthcare practitioners
- Median annual pay: $66,800 (10th percentile $39,690, 90th percentile $107,610)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +6.1%
- Openings a year: 1,400
- Typical entry education: Postsecondary certificate
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCS)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 78 |
| Investigative (I) | 41 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 47 |
| Enterprising (E) | 13 |
| Conventional (C) | 57 |

## What you'd do

- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 99/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 90/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 89/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 88/100)
- Getting Information (importance 87/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 85/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 85/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 83/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 83/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 83/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Coordination, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Operations Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making

## Knowledge

Medicine and Dentistry, Education and Training, Public Safety and Security, English Language, Biology, Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics, Engineering and Technology, Administration and Management, Physics

## Also called

Certified Surgical Technician (Certified Surgical Tech), CFA (Certified First Assistant), CRNFA (Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant), CSA (Certified Surgical Assistant), CSFA (Certified Surgical First Assistant), FA (First Assistant), GI Technician (Gastrointestinal Technician), Med Surg Nursing Assistant (Medical Surgical Nursing Assistant), Med Surg PCA (Medical Surgical Patient Care Assistant), Operating Room Technician (OR Tech)

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5109) (CIP 5109, 1,504 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Wagner College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/wagner-college-3148) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | not reported | $156,982 | $27,000 |
| [St. John's University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/st-john-s-university-new-york-2579) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $102,500 | $142,774 | $23,325 |
| [John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences](https://www.collegesref.com/college/john-patrick-university-of-health-and-applied-sciences-1341) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $112,673 | $122,061 | $23,437 |
| [Saint Francis University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/saint-francis-university-2301) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | not reported | $115,813 | $28,000 |
| [D'Youville University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/d-youville-university-755) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $113,290 | $114,737 | $30,703 |
| [Molloy College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/molloy-college-1749) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $90,567 | $111,267 | not reported |
| [Salisbury University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/salisbury-university-2329) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $75,312 | $109,739 | $23,250 |
| [Long Island University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/long-island-university-1520) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $90,526 | $107,539 | $22,000 |

## Related careers

- [Surgical Technologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/surgical-technologists): $64,650 median pay
- [Anesthesiologist Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/anesthesiologist-assistants): $135,880 median pay
- [Paramedics](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/paramedics): $60,600 median pay
- [Emergency Medical Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/emergency-medical-technicians): $44,470 median pay
- [Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cardiovascular-technologists-and-technicians): $74,310 median pay
- [Respiratory Therapists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/respiratory-therapists): $82,280 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.