Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) Salary

Certified surgical technologists (CST) generally care for surgical patients under the supervision of a registered nurse and attending doctor(s) of the patient's case. They are responsible for preparing, selecting, and maintaining any and all surgical equipment, and must also be able to clean and maintain a variety of surgical tools. They may occasionally be responsible for ensuring that the surgical room is prepared with all necessary tools before a procedure takes place, and different procedures often call for different surgical tools, so a CST must understand when certain tools are necessary.

Aspiring certified surgical technologists should graduate from an accredited program under the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program or maintain current certification through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting Organization. Other requirements may vary by employer, and all CSTs must be prepared to multitask between different demands at once. They may sometimes work directly from one procedure to the next, some of which are close to each other in time-frames, and the ability to work long hours is important to be part of surgical teams which contribute to patients' successful surgical outcomes. (Copyright 2017 PayScale.com)

Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) Tasks

• Inspect, maintain, decontaminate, and repair surgical equipment, keeping inventory records up to date.
• Conduct pre- and post-surgery patient care, including shaving, transporting, and applying dressings.
• Keep all needed surgical equipment at the ready, including sterile linens, saline, lights, suction machines, etc.
• Set up and maintain surgical field, collaborating with nurses and doctors and assisting where required.
• Assemble, transport, and retrieve surgical equipment, ensuring all pieces leave the room.

With a pay rate for Certified Surgical Technologists that is 34 percent greater than the national average, New York offers a comfortable salary for those in this profession. Certified Surgical Technologists can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like Los Angeles (+24 percent), San Diego (+20 percent), Dallas (+17 percent), and Fort Worth (+17 percent). Trailing the national average by 12 percent, Jacksonville is the market with the smallest paychecks. On the whole, employers pay 6 percent below the median salary for those in this field in Austin and Indianapolis.