Job Responsibilities

Surgical Technologists are vital members of the surgical team responsible for preparing and maintaining a sterile environment, organizing surgical instruments, and handing the operators (Surgeon and Surgical Assistant) instruments so they can focus more intently on the surgical procedure.

Surgical Assistants have a more in-depth role in direct patient care. They work alongside the Surgeon, both of them performing the surgical procedure together. Unlike the Surgical Technologist, the Surgical Assistants duties include retracting tissues, controlling bleeding, closing wounds, and even performing segments of the procedure as directed by the Surgeon.

As you can see, there is a huge chasm between these 2 distinct professions. They are nowhere near the same even though some people think of Surgical Assistants as advanced Surgical Techs with a little extra training. This role demands a deeper understanding and a skill set comparable to that of a surgeon, reflecting the significant training and expertise required.

This concept of the “advanced Surgical Tech” is actively endorsed within the field as a strategy to elevate the status of Surgical Technologists, presenting surgical assisting as a rung on the career ladder. However, transitioning from a Surgical Technologist to a Surgical Assistant represents a fundamental shift into an entirely distinct profession. 

Equating the two roles is akin to a Surgical Tech advancing to a Physician Assistant. Once they step into their new role, it’s inappropriate and limiting to still view them through the lens of their previous position as a Surgical Tech. Such a perspective not only misrepresents their new capabilities but can also restrict their professional growth and opportunities in their advanced role.

Likewise, the idea that a Surgical Assistant is an advanced Surgical Tech is a mistake for 2 reasons:

1. It gives the employer an opportunity to hold Surgical Assistant wages down. Surgical Assistants should make a similar wage to med-levels such as Physician Assistants. In fact, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, and Medical Doctors also compete for the very same coveted Surgical Assistant positions.
2. It holds Surgical Assistants down as far as what they are allowed to do. Your administration and at times even your team mates, may think of certain tasks as out of your scope of practice if they think of you as an advanced Surgical Tech. But as a practitioner in a completely different profession, those tasks are likely well within your scope.

Proper Training

Historically, another Surgeon would serve as the Surgical Assistant. In fact, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) states a Surgeon or Surgical Resident is the ideal Surgical Assistant, while recognizing the value of well-trained non-MD Surgical Assistants when their ideal is not possible. 

More than any other program, ACE Surgical Assisting aims to provide elevated training that closely aligns with same surgeon-level capabilities recommended by the ACS. That’s what makes us different. 

Our Surgical Assistant training includes the following:

• Surgeon-Level Skills: Since your Surgeons may expect you to actually perform certain parts of the procedure, you need all the same surgical skills a Surgeon has. That’s why we spend 6 days with you in a surgical skills lab. It’s essential that you not only get those skills, but that you can perform them as well as the experts do.

• Surgeon-Level Knowledge: The 3 things we focus on when we impart to you surgeon-level knowledge are – Knowing Your Patient; Advanced Surgical Anatomy; and the Intricate Steps of the Procedure. I know that sounds like a big leap. But that is our expertise – taking someone who may just have a rudimentary tech-level understanding of surgery to surgeon-level so they can deliver the ultimate value a Surgeon is looking for in their assistant.

Compensation and Outlook

Surgical Technologists and Surgical Assistants have different pay grades and job outlooks. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for Surgical Technologists in 2020 was $50,110, with a projected 7% growth rate from 2020 to 2030. On the other hand, Surgical Assistants earned a median annual salary of $67,000, with a projected job growth rate of 7% from 2020 to 2030. And remember, this median salary is held this low because many employers still view Surgical Assistants as advanced Surgical Techs.

Surgical Assistants can also make even more money based on what they specialize in and the demand for their services. And here is another way Surgical Assistants are different. When Surgical Technologists transition into the Surgical Assistant role, they qualify to go into private practice and bill the patient’s health insurance for their services. This greatly improves their financial outlook. It is common for freelance Surgical Assistants to make 6-figure incomes. And while I don’t know what all of the ACE alumni are making, I personally know a few who are making around $350,000 a year!