Health care / federal career guide

SOC 29-2055

Surgical Technologists career data

Wages, employment, skills, and education-program connections for community-college planning.

Median annual wage
$64,650
National OEWS, May 2025
National employment
117,460
Estimated jobs, not projected openings
10th–90th percentile
$45,940–$96,940
National annual wage range
Mapped program classes
3
Official CIP–SOC crosswalk records

Occupation definition

What this occupation covers

Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.

Decision prompt

Where will students demonstrate sterile technique, procedural readiness, and team-based practice?

Curriculum evidence

High-importance O*NET® skills

Importance scores are normalized to a 0–100 planning scale from the active O*NET® database importance records.

Monitoring

72/100

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Operations Monitoring

65/100

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Active Listening

65/100

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

62/100

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension

62/100

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

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Knowledge

Knowledge areas to review

  • Medicine and Dentistry82
  • English Language79
  • Customer and Personal Service77
  • Education and Training65

Technology

Tools named in O*NET® data

  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Word

Program connections

Education programs mapped to this occupation

The NCES crosswalk connects SOC 29-2055 with 3 CIP classifications. These mappings support exploration; they do not promise employment or licensure.

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