Prepare operating rooms, sterilize instruments, and hand tools to surgeons during operations.
You may also see this posted as: Certified Surgical Technologist (CST), Operating Room Technician (OR Tech), Surgical Technician, Surgical Technologist (Surgical Tech), Certified Surgical Technician, Operating Room Surgical Technician (OR St).
Operating rooms; sterile, fast-paced, standing for long stretches.
Full-time; on-call, nights, and weekends are common.
Realistic
working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
Social
helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people
O*NET job zone 3 of 5
Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
BLS estimates 0.1% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Certificate program
Training path: Certificate or associate program.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: None.
No universal license; most employers require certification.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
In the operating room without medical school.
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Standard Occupational Classification 29-2055. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.