A surgical technician is a trained professional whose job is extremely important to people undergoing surgery. The roles of a surgical technician may vary among countries and even between medical facilities within a country. Surgical technicians complete special training, usually lasting from about one to two years, either at community or trade colleges. They may also be certified through various agencies, and take examinations after completing school to get certification.

One of the most important aspects of many surgical technician jobs is learning how to prepare operating rooms so that they are sterile, which helps lower the rate of infection in patients. In general, surgical techs don’t actually clean up the operating rooms; this is left to maintenance staff. Surgical techs may oversee cleaning and prepare and sterilize all instruments that might be needed in an operation.

During actual surgeries the surgical technician is on hand to assist in a variety of roles. Techs must be able to follow directions accurately, quickly and carefully, so they need familiarity with the names of the many instruments a surgeon might require during an operation. Due to the fact that the surgical technician is actually present during operations, at least some of the time, tolerance for seeing open surgeries is important.

The surgical technician helps to prep surgeons and nurses to go into the sterile environment, and they support the surgeon by supplying her with anything she might need. If the surgeon needs a change of operating clothes, or needs a new surgical cap during an operation, the surgical tech may step in to help. Techs may assist by helping surgeons put on operating room clothing, gloves, and caps, so that after a surgeon has fully scrubbed, she remains completely sterile before entering the operating room. As surgery progresses, the surgical tech watches to be sure no one has violated sterile procedures.

Before and after surgery, a surgical technician may assist with the transportation of patients to the operating room, recovery room, intensive care unit (ICU), or regular hospital room. He or she may deliver charts with a physician’s orders, and may arrange for the type of room or location in a hospital to which a patient needs transport. Usually the most direct patient care a surgical tech has with a patient is during transport, and a doctor or nurse almost always accompanies the surgical tech when a patient is transported.

The average salary for this job can vary greatly. While many entry-level techs make around $28,000 USD yearly, more experienced techs may make about $40,000 US Dollars (USD) per year. Overtime shifts can add to this amount if emergency surgery needs arise.