How people get into Surgical Technologists

What it takes to do this work

No state licence that we can see, but employers commonly ask for Certified Surgical Technologist. That is an employer preference rather than a legal gate, so some will hire and train instead. Financial aid is available for it, and WorkOne can tell you what it covers.

Financial aid means you may not pay this yourself. WorkOne checks what you qualify for at no cost and no obligation, and it is worth doing before you rule anything out on price.

The jobs people hold first

These are the jobs people hold before moving into this one. Doing one of them is not the only way in, and it is not a requirement. It is the route the data can actually see.

Work people come from	Typical pay	Step up	Evidence
Pharmacy Technicians Employers often ask for: Certified Pharmacy Technician aid available I do this now →	$45,540	+$18,700	Related work
Dental Assistants Employers often ask for: Certified Dental Assistant aid available I do this now →	$48,970	+$15,270	Related work
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians No licence we can see I do this now →	$58,910	+$5,330	Related work
Skincare Specialists Needs: Esthetician License aid available I do this now →	$48,530	+$15,710	Related work
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians No licence we can see I do this now →	$49,710	+$14,530	Related work
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other No licence we can see I do this now →	$53,000	+$11,240	Related work
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians No licence we can see I do this now →	$44,230	+$20,010	Related work
Phlebotomists Employers often ask for: Certified Phlebotomy Technician aid available I do this now →	$41,550	+$22,690	Related work

Related work The federal O*NET occupation index lists this as related to your kind of work, because the two share skills and day-to-day activities. It is a match on the work itself, not a record of people moving between them.

We keep those labels apart because they are different strength claims, and none of them means we watched individual people make the move.

Routes that already pay more than surgical technologists are left out, because those are side moves rather than ways in. So are routes needing more schooling than you told us about.

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