The primary role of a surgical assistant is to assist the surgeon performing a surgical procedure. In addition, they advise the patient about the procedure before the surgery and set up the tools to be used during the surgery. They keep a record of what tools were used and clean up after the surgery. A variety of specialties are available for a surgical assistant to work such as general, trauma, heart and vascular surgery.
Job opportunities are abundant as statistics have demonstrated that there is a projected growth in jobs of up to twenty five percent by 2018. The surgical assistant salary will depend on a few factors. The type of facility you work in, the state or city that you work in and your experience. The strongest factor influencing your salary is your experience. For example, an entry level surgical assistant can expect to earn between $35,000 to $55,000 per year, whereas, a surgical assistant with many years of experience can make between $50,000 to $70,000 per year. The current average salary in the United States is around $48,000 per year. In addition, a higher salary can be expected for those working in large cities such as Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago.
Houston, New York State and Arlington have the highest number of jobs so work in these places also offers higher salaries as the work is competitive. Work is very hard to come by in Nevada, Hawaii and Alaska as these states have the least amount of jobs available. Some of the top surgical assistant earn around $100,000 per year. Your rate of pay is also affected by what type of specialty you work in. The top specialties to work in are heart and vascular surgery. Those specialized in heart and vascular surgery can earn up to $100,000 per year. In contrast, the lowest paying specialty is general surgery. As such, the salary is about $50,000 per year.
Another factor affecting your salary as a surgical assistant is where you work. In general, those working in a hospital are paid a lower salary than those working in a surgical center. What type of places you can work and thus your potential salary is also affected by your level of certification.
There are many things that can affect the surgical assistant salary. To get the best salary it is important that you are certified, working in a metropolitan area and have some experience under your belt. Also, larger companies tend to pay more so you should focus on getting a job there. The surgical assistant is a lucrative and rewarding career pathway as the growth rate and earning potential in the medical field is constantly expanding.
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