The Salary of a Surgery Tech
Surgical technicians, also called surgical technologists or scrubs, assist the surgeon before, during and after an operation. Before the patient is brought in, the tech prepares the operating room and assembles all sterile and nonsterile supplies. During the surgery, he passes the equipment to the surgeon as needed, and after the patient leaves the operating room, he cleans and restocks it. Surgical techs earn an hourly wage plus overtime, bonuses and insurance.
Other People Are Reading
-
National Pay Average
-
Surgical technicians earn between $15 and $20 an hour, according to data gathered by Payscale as of December 2010. Overtime pay averages between $21 and $31 an hour. For those surgical techs who report receiving bonuses, the average ranges between $190 and nearly $1,000 annually.
Health Benefits
-
Seventy-five percent of surgical techs are women. Only 19 percent of surgery technicians report not receiving health benefits, according to Payscale. As of 2010, 79 percent of all employed technicians receive medical benefits, 66 percent receive dental benefits, and 52 percent receive vision benefits.
-
Room for Advancement
-
Surgery technicians can advance in their positions by specializing in a certain aspect of surgery, such as open-heart surgery or neurosurgery, says the U.S. Bureau of Labor. Additional training makes the technician eligible for promotion to first assistant. Some techs are promoted to handling the supply department in hospitals or move on to work in firms specializing in operating equipment, sterile supplies or insurance.
Job Outlook
-
The U.S. Bureau of Labor expects the number of surgeries to rise, thus creating job opportunities for surgical technicians. In fact, the Bureau predicts a 25 percent increase in employment from 2008 to 2018, a rate of increase the Bureau defines as "much faster than average." Prospects are better for technicians who are certified and who are willing to relocate.
-
References
- Photo Credit operation nurse image by Andrey Rakhmatullin from Fotolia.com nurse chris image by John Keith from Fotolia.com
