Surgical Technologist
Healthcare
Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.
You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
- 1Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
- 2Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
- 3Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
- 4Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
- 5Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
- 6Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
- 7Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
- 8Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
- 9Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.
- 10Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation.
- 11Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery.
- 12Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card.
- 13Order surgical supplies.
- 14Maintain supply of fluids, such as plasma, saline, blood, or glucose, for use during operations.
- 15Observe patients' vital signs to assess physical condition.
- 16Maintain files and records of surgical procedures.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
- CST
- OR St
- OR Tech
- Surgery Tech
- Surgical Tech
- Travel OR Tech
- Scrub Technician
- Surgical Orderly
- CVOR Technologist
- Surgical Scrub Tech
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
2
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
Typical entry
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
4
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
5
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Customer and Personal Service75%
- Medicine and Dentistry74%
BiologyChemistry
- English Language69%
English
- Education and Training62%
- Public Safety and Security57%
- Psychology57%
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
- Leading or coordinating othersHigh
- Handling conflict situationsOften
- Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
- Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
- Noisy environmentAlmost never
Where this job is heading
Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.
- Schedule surgical procedures for patients.
- Transport patients to and from the operating room.
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Related careers
If this interests you, these are worth a look too.
About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Surgical Technologists
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org