Career Explorer Healthcare (clinical)
Human edge, growing
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.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 99% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is very low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it low), and US jobs are projected to change by +6.1% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on physical dexterity and emotional intelligence.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $66,800
- Job growth to 2035
- +6.1%
- Openings a year
- 1,400
- People doing it (2025)
- 24,400
- Usual route in
- College certificate
Where people already use AI for this work
- Verify personal information
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Assist healthcare practitioners during medical procedures
- Treat injuries, illnesses, or diseases
- Administer basic health care or medical treatments
What the work looks like
- Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
- Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
- Pass instruments or supplies to surgeon during procedure.
- Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events.
- Verify the identity of patient or operative site.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Also known as: CSFA (Certified Surgical First Assistant), RNFA (Registered Nurse First Assistant), Surgical First Assistant, Surgical Technician (Surgical Tech), Certified Surgical Technician (Certified Surgical Tech), CRNFA (Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant), CSA (Certified Surgical Assistant), GI Technician (Gastrointestinal Technician).
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.