Allied healthcare professionals are critical to patient care, with the majority of CSTs and sterile techs employed in medical and surgical hospitals—but this isn’t the only clinical setting where their skills are in demand. That begs the question – what other jobs can a surgical tech do? The answer for where surgical techs can work includes outpatient and same-day surgery centers, dental offices and physicians’ offices.

According to the most recent report at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the second (after hospitals) highest concentration of surgical techs are found in outpatient centers; these facilities, also known as ambulatory centers, are gaining popularity. In fact, data from the National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery, via the CDC, shows that outpatients have shorter recovery times than those undergoing surgery in hospitals; this research also attributes over half of all surgeries performed in the U.S. to outpatient centers—great news for CSTs and sterile techs looking for their pick of healthcare jobs.

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Surgical techs will perform millions of these routine outpatient surgeries each year:

• Gastrointestinal upper endoscopies
• Benign and malignant tumors
• Tonsillectomies
• Colonoscopies
• Pacemaker implants
• Dermatology (skin grafts, facelifts)
• ACL repair
• Root canal and other dental procedures
• Cataract removal and laser vision correction
• Carpal tunnel

Some Important Labor Statistics for CSTs and Sterile Techs

Recent employment figures from the BLS are worth checking out. Over 67,000 surgical techs worked in hospitals in 2013, receiving an average annual income of $43,710. Incomes reported for surgical techs in outpatient centers were slightly higher, with salaries jumping to a high of $48,110 for surgical techs working through employment services, such as staffing agencies that place CSTs with the healthcare employers who need them the most.

While physician offices reported some of the lowest figures for surgical techs, employment with your community’s best physician groups can and does happen, especially with the help of a healthcare recruiter! Other alternatives for surgical techs include high-paying teaching jobs in University health systems, vocational schools, etc. The criteria for a clinical educator of future CSTs is at least three years of operating room experience, three years teaching experience, or a combination of the two.

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The career outlook for sterile techs also goes above and beyond hospitals, with many CSPDTs finding opportunities in the U.S. Military, VA hospitals, labs, pharmacies and medical equipment companies. Jobs as sterile techs can easily lead into higher paying CST jobs, or careers in repairing and adapting medical equipment.

365 Healthcare Staffing Services Requires a Minimum of One Year Work Experience

Our wide range of allied healthcare jobs are an excellent opportunity for surgical techs as we can help you answer the quetsion of “Where Can a Surgical Tech Work?” We help you gain an edge in what promises to be a veteran medical career. 365’s flexible healthcare jobs are concentrated in California, the state with the highest annual income for OR techs in the United States! Candidates for our top-paying jobs receive VIP customer care from a dedicated team of recruiters. Come discover high-paying allied healthcare jobs  when you call or apply online today!