An official website of the Washington State government
Surgical Assistants
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.
What a surgical assistant does
Become a surgical assistant
If you enjoy doing these activities, you might make a good surgical assistant
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Talking to others.
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
- Looking for ways to help people.
Discover what you could earn in Washington
- Average hourly rate is $32 per hour with an average salary of $67,400 per year.
- Half of workers earn between $27 and $35 per hour.
- Half of workers earn an annual salary between $56,500 and $72,600 per year.
Surgical Assistant job outlook
- There are 171 workers in this occupation in Washington.