Surgical Tech vs Surgical Assistant: pay, outlook, education and work, side by side.
Every row comes from one named source and says which career leads on that one dimension. There is no overall score.
Surgical Tech vs Surgical Assistant: BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 29-2055 and 29-9093). The national median annual wage is $64,650 for surgical techs and $66,800 for surgical assistants (BLS, May 2025). BLS projects national employment to change +5.0% for surgical techs and +6.1% for surgical assistants from 2025 to 2035. Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award vs Postsecondary nondegree award. Which fits better depends on what you value; the table shows who leads on each dimension, with no overall winner.
Side by side
Data Differences smaller than a stated threshold read “About the same” (pay 5%, growth 2 points, openings 10%, one education level, ORS 10 points, O*NET 0.2).
Pick what matters to you; the matching rows are highlighted. Nothing is combined into a score.
| Dimension · source | Surgical TechSOC 29-2055 | Surgical AssistantSOC 29-9093 | Leads on this dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wageBLS OEWS, May 2025 (national) | $64,650 | $66,800 | About the same |
| EmploymentBLS OEWS, May 2025 | 117,460 | 22,270 | Not ranked |
| Projected employment change, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) | +5.0% | +6.1% | About the same |
| Projected numeric change in jobs, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) · A count, not a rate: it scales with the size of the occupation. | +5,900 jobs | +1,500 jobs | Not ranked |
| Projected openings (annual average)BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35 | 7,100 a year | 1,400 a year | Surgical Tech |
| Typical entry-level educationBLS Employment Projections · typical, not a legal requirement | Postsecondary nondegree award | Postsecondary nondegree award | About the same |
| Typical work experience in a related occupationBLS Employment Projections | None | None | About the same |
| Typical on-the-job trainingBLS Employment Projections | None | None | Not ranked |
| Pressure level (O*NET, 1–5; lower = less)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 3.63 | 3.87 | Surgical Tech |
| Social-contact level (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context · not ranked: neither direction is better | 4.62 | 4.53 | Not ranked |
| Freedom to make decisions (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 3.53 | 2.91 | Surgical Tech |
| Work styles O*NET rates most importantO*NET® 31.0 work styles (occupation ratings, not a personality test) | Attention to Detail, Dependability, Cautiousness | Attention to Detail, Dependability, Cautiousness | Not ranked |
Choose based on what matters to you
Data Each line restates a measured difference from the table; nothing here predicts how you will feel about a job.
- a lower-pressure work environment matters (3.63 vs 3.87)
- more decision-making freedom matters (3.53 vs 2.91)
Which skills each one leans on
Data O*NET 31.0 skill ratings: level (0–7) and importance.
Skill-profile match: 16% (similarity of the two O*NET skill profiles, importance × level; 100% = identical).
- Equipment Maintenance (+2.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Repairing (+2.1 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Equipment Selection (+1.0 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Management of Material Resources (+0.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Programming (+0.9 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Speaking (+0.8 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Negotiation (+0.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Science (+0.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
What each career involves
Data Core tasks from O*NET 31.0.
Surgical Tech
- Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
- Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
- Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
- Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
Surgical Assistant
- Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
- Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
- Pass instruments or supplies to surgeon during procedure.
- Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events.
Largest employing industries
Data Share of all jobs in each occupation, BLS Employment Matrix 2025.
Surgical Tech
- Hospitals; state, local, and private (71.2% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Ambulatory healthcare services (23.5% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Administrative and support services (3.8% of all jobs in this occupation)
Surgical Assistant
- Ambulatory healthcare services (50.6% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Hospitals; state, local, and private (37.8% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Administrative and support services (1.4% of all jobs in this occupation)
Moving between these careers
Data The comparison shows which; the career-change guides show how.
- Surgical Tech → Surgical Assistant: skills to build: Programming, Speaking, Negotiation.
- Surgical Assistant → Surgical Tech: skills to build: Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Equipment Selection.
Go deeper
Common questions
Which pays more, Surgical Tech or Surgical Assistant?
Which is growing faster?
Which is better?
How this page is built
BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 29-2055 and 29-9093). Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025 national median for each occupation's SOC code. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (growth, numeric change and annual openings are separate metrics). Requirements rows: 2025 preliminary BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, shown only when both roles have detailed-occupation estimates. Work environment: O*NET 31.0 work context. This page includes information from the 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. TryHired has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Searches this page answers include “surgical tech vs surgical assistant salary”, “surgical assistant vs surgical tech salary”, “surgical assistant salary vs surgical tech salary” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
- Any one employer's pay, schedule or culture.
- Job security, ease of hiring or work-life balance: these are not measured here.
- Which career you will prefer: the rows describe the occupations, not you.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 national projections (growth, openings, typical entry-level education and experience).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey, 2025 estimates (preliminary: two of the third wave's samples, collected August 2023 to July 2025; released January 16, 2026), public domain.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (all jobs, including self-employed).