Surgical technicians assist surgeons and nurses in an operating theater.
A surgical technician helps with the specialized "scut work" of surgery. She assists in operations, sets up equipment, interfaces with the patient and handles supplies before, during and after the procedure. In a plastic surgery office, the tech does this for elective and emergency cosmetic surgery and is paid a working-to-middle class salary for her skills and efforts.
Salary Information
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), surgical technicians made a mean hourly wage of $19.86 in 2010, which makes for a median annual salary of $39,920. The middle 50 percent of workers in this category made between $38,400 and $47,570.
Industry Information
The BLS provides data for the industries with the highest demand for surgical technologists in general. Physicians' offices, including plastic surgeons' offices, was the second highest category on the report. Physician offices did not make the list of top-paying workplaces for surgical technicians, however.
Regional Data
Surgical technicians were in the greatest demand in California, Texas, Florida, New York and Tennessee during 2010. The highest paying regions for surgical techs, including those working in plastic surgeons' offices, were Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska, the District of Columbia and California.
Job Outlook
The BLS expects demand for all medical professions, including surgical technicians, to grow very rapidly between 2008 and 2018. Specific projections for surgical techs predict a 25 percent growth during that period, more than triple the growth expected for U.S. jobs as a whole.
