Surgical Technology

Types of Degrees Surgical Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many surgical technology/technologist graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	4,193
Undergraduate Certificate	2,452
Basic Certificate	924
Bachelor’s Degree	14

What Surgical Technology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, surgical technology/technologist majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Surgical Technology/Technologist Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in surgical technology/technologist should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Skills for Surgical Technology/Technologist Majors

surgical technology/technologist majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Active Listening - 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.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Surgical Technology/Technologist Majors

Surgical Technology/Technologist majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Surgical Technology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with surgical technology/technologist:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Surgical Technologists	11.7%	$47,300

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Surgical Technology?

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of surgical technology/technologist majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	0
Black or African American	2
Hispanic or Latino	2
White	8
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	2

How Much Do Surgical Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $49,040 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to surgical technology/technologist. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Surgical Technology

Some degrees associated with surgical technology/technologist may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to surgical technology/technologist have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	3.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	19.9%
Some College Courses	14.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	26.3%
Bachelor’s Degree	5.2%
Master’s Degree	14.9%
Doctoral Degree	10.3%
Post-Doctoral Training	7.9%

Online Surgical Technology Programs

In 2020-2021, 481 schools offered a surgical technology/technologist program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	241	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	8	0
Associate’s Degree	350	8
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Surgical Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a surgical technology/technologist grad is $49,040 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 23% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $182,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Surgical Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to surgical technology/technologist.

Major	Number of Grads
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	26,641
Physician Assistant	11,351
Radiologic Technology	9,790
Respiratory Care Therapy	6,845
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician	5,396
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapy	4,850
Athletic Training	3,767
Other Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	1,911
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	1,405
Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist	619
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician	568
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology	525
Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist	379
Polysomnography	302
Perfusion Technology/Perfusionist	138
Mammography Technician/Technology	69
Radiation Protection/Health Physics Technician	51
Cardiopulmonary Technology	40
Hearing Instrument Specialist	32
Gene/Genetic Therapy	31
Orthopedic Technology	15

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.