A surgical scrub technician, also known as surgical technologist or surgical technician, assists surgeons in the operating room. Surgical scrub technicians are responsible for preparing and sterilizing the operating room, transporting patients to and from the operating room and handing the correct instruments to the surgeon during operations.
Salary and Benefits
The majority of surgical technologists earn between $36,113 and $43,691 a year, according to December 2010 Salary.com data. The top 10 percent earn $47,410 or more. Bonus and profit-sharing play a minor role in total take home pay, adding between between $250 and $2,004, according to November 2010 PayScale data. Health benefits are quite common in this profession, with just 19 percent of all surgical technologists lacking coverage. Medical insurance is the most common benefit of this job, followed closely by dental and vision insurance.
Experience
Experience is a major factor in determining a surgical technician's salary. Entry-level surgical technicians, with less than one year experience, earn between $10.56 and $15.71 per hour, according to PayScale. Salary increases substantially with one to four years of experience, at which point a surgical technician can earn anywhere between $13.35 and $17.93 an hour. With five to nine years on the job, a surgical technician can earn between $15.71 and $20.51. Surgical technicians with 10 to 19 years' experience can potentially earn $17.44 to $23.35 an hour. With 20 years or more of experience, surgical technician salaries can range between $18.65 to $25.05 an hour.
Certification
Surgical scrub technicians who wish to improve their economic situation should consider obtaining certification. Individuals with Basic Life Support certification have the opportunity to earn the most, between $15.26 and $23.00 an hour, according to November 2010 PayScale data.
Number of Hospital Beds
Surgical scrub technicians working in large hospitals generally earn more than those who work in small facilities. The largest hospitals, with 500 or more beds, pay surgical technicians between $13.44 and $20.40 an hour. Facilities smaller than this pay much less, between $11.93 to $18.63 an hour.
Location
States with high population densities tend to have a greater number of large hospitals. Consequently, surgical scrub technicians working in these states have a better chance of earning higher incomes. California tops the list with the highest paid surgical technicians who earn hourly rates between $16.77 to $24.34, according to PayScale in 2010. on PayScale. Surgical technicians in New York earn between $13.71 to $20.84 an hour.
Outlook
Employment is expected to grow by 25 percent between 2008 and 2018 for surgical scrub technicians, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts. This rate is much faster than the average. An older and growing population, requiring more surgical procedures, is adding to the demand for more surgical technicians.
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