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 surgeon's assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.
U.S. Workers
113,890
Median Salary
$62,830
10-Year Growth
+4.5%
Annual Openings
7,000
Typical entry: Postsecondary nondegree award
16 of 16 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated counting systems using RFID, barcodes, and computer vision can reliably count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operations and are deployable by 2025.
Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
AI: Fully automatable - Washing and sterilizing equipment is largely automated by industrial washers and autoclaves with programmable cycles and monitoring systems, enabling full automation in many settings.
Order surgical supplies.
AI: Fully automatable - AI systems can fully automate ordering through inventory tracking, demand forecasting, and integration with procurement systems.
Observe patients' vital signs to assess physical condition.
AI: Fully automatable - AI integrated with patient monitors can continuously observe vital signs and produce assessments and alerts in real time.
Maintain files and records of surgical procedures.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can fully maintain procedure files via automated transcription, coding, and EHR integration for recordkeeping.
Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
AI: Partial - AI and computer vision can detect breaches and advise on sterile field integrity, but maintaining and enforcing a sterile field during surgery remains primarily a manual, human-led task.
Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
AI: Partial - AI/robotic systems cannot reliably perform sterile human scrubbing and gowning autonomously as of 2025, though they can provide guidance or assistive devices.
Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
AI: Partial - AI can provide technical decision support and instrument suggestions, but cannot fully replace in-person technical assistance during dynamic procedures.
Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
AI: Partial - Patient positioning and sterile draping require complex physical manipulation and human judgment, with only partial robotic assistance available.
Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
AI: Partial - Autonomous intraoperative instrument handling and tasks like holding retractors or cutting sutures remain largely manual despite robotic tools under surgeon control, so only partial automation is feasible.
Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
AI: Partial - Specimen handling has automation for labeling and transport, but intraoperative specimen preparation and chain-of-custody decisions still need human oversight.
Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.
AI: Partial - AI can monitor vitals and environmental sensors and flag issues, but continuous nuanced assessment of operating room needs and team dynamics still requires humans.
Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation.
AI: Partial - Monitoring and controlling equipment can be automated and remotely supervised, but assembly and manual adjustments still require human technicians in many cases.
Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery.
AI: Partial - Applying dressings requires manual dexterity and patient-specific judgment, so robots and AI can assist but not fully perform this task routinely.
Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card.
AI: Partial - Cleaning, restocking, and arranging instruments can be partially automated with robotics and inventory systems, but complete autonomous setup to match preference cards is not widespread by 2025.
Maintain supply of fluids, such as plasma, saline, blood, or glucose, for use during operations.
AI: Partial - AI can manage inventory, control pumps, and coordinate supply delivery but cannot fully perform the manual intraoperative handling and physical placement tasks.