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Surgical Assistants in Florida

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Surgical Assistants in Florida

Want to work as a Surgical Assistants in Florida? Here’s what the data says. 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. Excludes “Registered Nurses” (29-1141) and “Surgical Technologists” (29-2055).

What do Surgical Assistants Make in Florida?

For surgical assistants working in Florida, the typical annual salary is $50,920 per year (or about $24.48/hour).Annual wages span from $42,750 at the 10th percentile to $92,050 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic Annual Hourly
10th percentile $42,750 $20.56
25th percentile $48,780 $23.45
Median (50th) $50,920 $24.48
75th percentile $72,490 $34.85
90th percentile $92,050 $44.25
Salary ranges for Surgical Assistants in Florida

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Florida relative to the national average — is 1.43, indicating that surgical assistants are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, surgical assistants earn a median of $141,004 per year ($67.79/hour), below the Florida median.

Surgical Assistants earnings in Florida vs. the national average

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 984,146 surgical assistants in the U.S.. In Florida alone, around 2,080 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 250 surgical assistants.

Surgical Assistants in Florida vs. the average state Forecasted number of jobs for Surgical Assistants

Top Florida Metros for Surgical Assistants

These are the Florida metros with the most surgical assistants in Florida.

Metro Area Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 540 $52,730
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 420 $49,570
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 100 $52,390
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 100 $56,300
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 60 $47,830
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 60 $49,350
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 50 $50,180
Ocala, FL 50 $47,710
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL 40 $49,920
Port St. Lucie, FL 40 $48,930
Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL 40 $48,930
Tallahassee, FL 40 $46,440

Top States for Surgical Assistants Employment

View the states that employ the most surgical assistants work.

State Number Employed
Texas 2,770
Florida 2,080
Illinois 1,220
Virginia 1,210
Georgia 1,010
Tennessee 1,010
Maryland 950
North Carolina 890
Ohio 840
Michigan 760
Wisconsin 630
Oregon 600
Indiana 530
South Carolina 520
New York 500
Pennsylvania 500
Missouri 380
Kentucky 360
Utah 330
Oklahoma 280

Highest-Paying States for Surgical Assistants

These states pay the most for surgical assistants.

State Annual Median Salary
Nevada $110,020
Arizona $107,500
District of Columbia $105,080
Minnesota $100,000
South Carolina $98,340
Kentucky $81,710
Tennessee $78,330
Texas $76,510
New Hampshire $74,880
New Jersey $73,600

Skills

Key surgical assistants skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Active Listening  4.0 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.8 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  3.6 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  3.6 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  3.6 / 5
0
5
Coordination  3.4 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Medicine and Dentistry  4.2 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  4.0 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.6 / 5
0
5
Biology  3.4 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  3.4 / 5
0
5
Computers and Electronics  2.9 / 5
0
5

Abilities

Top abilities for surgical assistants, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Oral Comprehension  4.1 / 5
0
5
Near Vision  4.0 / 5
0
5
Finger Dexterity  4.0 / 5
0
5
Arm-Hand Steadiness  4.0 / 5
0
5
Problem Sensitivity  3.9 / 5
0
5
Speech Clarity  3.9 / 5
0
5

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, surgical assistants typically:

  • Verify the identity of patient or operative site.
  • Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
  • Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field.
  • Coordinate or participate in the positioning of patients, using body stabilizing equipment or protective padding to provide appropriate exposure for the procedure or to protect against nerve damage or circulation impairment.
  • Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
  • Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.
  • Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers.
  • Discuss with surgeon the nature of the surgical procedure, including operative consent, methods of operative exposure, diagnostic or laboratory data, or patient-advanced directives or other needs.
  • Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures.
  • Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment.
  • Assess skin integrity or other body conditions upon completion of the procedure to determine if damage has occurred from body positioning.
  • Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events.

Work Activities

  • Assisting and Caring for Others
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
  • Getting Information
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
  • Performing General Physical Activities
  • Handling and Moving Objects
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: MEDITECH software

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Related college programs include:

  • Allied Health Professions

Related occupations to surgical assistants include:

Also Known As

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

References

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