Online Surgical Technician Courses

Surgical procedures have become so complex that more staff are required to build a medical team during surgical procedures. Additionally, thanks to population growth, an increased lifespan and improvements in medical and surgical procedures, there is a growing demand for surgical technicians, people who are proven vital members [PDF] of a surgical team. Also known as surgical technologists, these personnel are in great demand with a shift toward performing minor surgery on an outpatient basis.

Employment in this field is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations. Factors that will generate strong demand for other health workers will also spur demand for Surgical Technicians, such as population growth, the aging of the population, greater health consciousness, and widespread ability to pay for hospital and surgical care under public and private health insurance programs.

Also contributing to the growth and demand for workers in this occupation is the practice in some hospitals of assigning surgical technicians a greater number of routine operating room tasks. Due to the relaxation of certain government regulations and to cost containment efforts by hospital administrators, surgical technicians are performing more and more tasks under the supervision of operating room nurses.

Wages for surgical technicians vary according to experience and location and size of the hospital. This is where it pays to do some homework about where you’d like to work after completing your training as a surgical tech. Although hourly wages for beginning technicians range from $6.50 to $13.00, those technicians with little experience still can earn between $11.00 to $16.00 per hour in larger urban settings. For instance, a surgical technician located in the Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick, Maryland metropolitan area can earn an hourly mean wage of $26.57; however, the same technician located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, can earn an hourly mean wage of $18.00.

A forty-hour, five-day work week is normal for technicians, although many are required at times to be on-call, available to work on short notice, and be able to work overtime as needed to finish scheduled cases. Emergency surgery units often require 24-hour coverage.

Benefits provided by most employers include paid vacation and sick leave, health, medical, vision, dental insurance and life insurance, and retirement programs. A few employers also provide child care benefits.

If you are looking at the Bureau of Labor Statistic information for surgical technicians, you might notice that working in offices of health practitioners helps surgical technicians make more money. The annual mean wage for this service is $54,710 compared to working in areas such as general medical and surgery hospitals. The latter environment provides only $39,770 per year in an annual mean wage. But, hospitals are being encouraged to help surgical technicians stay on board with incentives. Hospital employers of surgical technologists are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain experienced surgical technologists, as competition [PDF] for the services of surgical technologists includes medical sales companies, travel companies, and better paying opportunities in other allied health fields. This difference in pay scale may change in the near future.

Top Online Surgical Technician Degree Programs

BS in Health Services Mgmt	Virginia College Online — The bachelor's degree in Health Services Management offered by Virginia College Online provides students with a strong background in basic healthcare knowledge as well as management and leadership skills. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be well-prepared for becoming surgical technicians or managers.
AS in Allied Health	Independence University — Learn about disease prevention, sterilization and prepping for surgery through this college's associate degree in Allied Health. These are the essential skills you'll need to enter the field of surgical technology. Earning your associate's degree online enables you to progress at your own pace toward your professional goals.
AS in Health IT	DeVry University — For aspiring surgical technicians who want a bigger role in patient data management, DeVry University's associate's degree in health information technology prepares students to learn application systems and work with managing electronic health information databases. HIT professsionals work with nurse, doctors, and other health care providers.
AS in Medical Assisting	Kaplan University — Apply for this school's associate degree in Medical Assisting to achieve a strong foundation in surgical technology. This course is ideal for a fast and flexible solution to your online degree as you earn an entry-level education that concentrates on helping students acquire knowledge and develop skills in performing laboratory, clinical, and medical office procedures.
AS in Medical Assisting	Keiser University — For working adults who need a flexible class schedule, Keiser's associate's degree in medical assisting may be the ideal program for aspiring surgical techs. In most cases, this program can be completed within one year and should provide all the training needed to begin a career as a healthcare professional.
AS in Allied Health Science	South University — Try on South University's associate degree in Allied Health Science for size. This online program provides students with the information and training needed to begin a career in surgical technology, as it is designed to expose students to a broad education in general studies combined with an emphasis on life science subjects such as anatomy and physiology, chemistry, nutrition, and pathophysiology.
AABA in Health Admin	American InterContinental University — This college's online AABA in Healthcare Administration combines surgical technician training with practical training in ethics and business. This degree can prepare you to train further for an administrative position as a surgical technician, as it combines real-world business skills with specific knowledge of today's expanding field of healthcare management.
BS in Healthcare Admin	Ashford University — The BS in healthcare administration degree program offered by Ashford University is designed to provide students with a general background in healthcare while integrating management and leadership skills into the education. Graduates of this program will be well suited to begin a career as a manager within a healthcare setting.
AS in Health Info Mgmt	McKinley College Online — For individuals aspiring to become general healthcare or surgical technicians quickly, McKinley College Online offers a one-year associate's degree in health information management that will provide students with the training needed to begin an entry-level position as a technician within the healthcare industry.
AS in Medical Assisting	Mountain State University — The Mountain State University offers an online Associate of Science degree in medical assisting that prepares students for careers as surgical assistants and technicians. For those aspiring to enter the healthcare field as a cutting edge surgical technologist, the coursework offered through this degree program is well suited toward that endeavor as well.