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Surgical Assistants
Healthcare · SOC 29-9093
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$66,800
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
—
Proj. Annual Openings
22,270
Employment (OEWS 2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
AI Exposure Analysis
AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure7.0%
Top Skills
1.Active Listening
2.Speaking
3.Reading Comprehension
4.Critical Thinking
5.Monitoring
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Certified First Assistant (CFA), Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant (CRNFA), Certified Surgical Assistant (CSA), Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA), Certified Surgical Technician, Gastrointestinal Technician (GI Technician)
Representative Tasks
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Verify accuracy of patient information.
- •Maintain sterile operative fields.
- •Position patients for treatment or examination.
- •Protect patients or staff members using safety equipment.
- •Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
Tools & Technologies
MEDITECH software · hotMicrosoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotMicrosoft PowerPoint · hotElectronic medical record EMR softwarePatient tracking softwareSurgery workflow communication software
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
0
Occupations Shown
0.0%
Avg AI Exposure
0
Bright Outlook
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 7.0% |
| Outlook | Average | 0% Bright |
| Median Salary | $66,800 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |