Surgical Technologist resume examples
This page has 9 one-page surgical technologist resume examples, from an operating room assistant and a Surgical Technologist I to Surgical Technologist II, certified surgical technologist, endoscopy and anesthesia technicians, a surgical assistant and a certified surgical first assistant. Each one is checked against 6,665 US postings from 872 employers, and the note under each sample says which case volumes, specialties, counts and sterile technique results it puts first.
Surgical Technologist I Resume Example
Surgical technologist postings most often ask for graduation from an accredited program, BLS and preferably the CST credential, and all three sit in the education and certificate sections. The bullets cover the duties employers write most, preparing the room and sterile field, counts and turnover, and show the sterile and aseptic technique entry-level postings name.
Why this resume works:
- Handle the scrub role on about 35 general, OB/GYN and orthopedic cases a month, passing instruments to the surgeon.
- Set up sterile fields, back tables and Mayo stands for each case, with no aseptic technique breaks in 2026 audits.
- Perform surgical counts of sponges, sharps and instruments with the circulator, with zero count discrepancies to date.
Operating Room Assistant Resume Example
Operating room assistant postings ask for interpersonal skills, web-based applications, aseptic technique and communication, and this resume shows each in daily OR work such as tracking supplies for 16 rooms and timed room turnovers. BLS sits in certificates, and the surgical technology coursework shows where this candidate is headed.
Why this resume works:
- Complete 12 to 15 room turnovers per shift with the OR team, meeting the 20-minute goal 92% of the time.
- Coordinate about 25 patient transports a shift between pre-op, the OR and PACU, confirming ID bands and charts each time.
- Assemble case carts from surgeon preference cards for next-day cases, with 98% complete at first pick.
Surgical Technologist Resume Example
Surgical technologist postings ask most for aseptic and sterile technique, surgical procedures, medical terminology and human anatomy, and each appears in a bullet with case volumes, turnover times or safety results. The accredited surgical technology degree, CST and BLS that employers list as requirements are placed in education and certificates where a recruiter checks first.
Why this resume works:
- Perform the scrub role on 50 to 60 cases a month across general, orthopedic, cardiovascular and robotic services.
- Maintain sterile fields for cases up to 8 hours long, with zero retained-item events in 3 years.
- Organize instrumentation and implants for 15+ orthopedic trauma cases a month, including night and weekend call.
Surgical Technologist II Resume Example
Surgical Technologist II postings ask for aseptic and sterile technique, surgical instrumentation, medical terminology and the ability to work independently, and this resume shows solo scrubbing on complex neuro, spine and cardiac cases with measured results. The accredited degree, CST and BLS that employers require are listed up front, and 6 years fit the step above entry level.
Why this resume works:
- Handle 45 neuro, spine and open-heart cases a month as the only scrub technologist in the room.
- Set up sterile fields for craniotomies and bypass cases with strict sterile technique, including microscope draping.
- Coach 8 Surgical Technologist I staff and students a year, signing off competencies in 3 specialties.
Certified Surgical Technologist Resume Example
Certified surgical technologist postings ask for the CST credential, aseptic and sterile technique, surgical procedures, instrumentation and anatomy, and the resume leads with the credential in the title and certificates and backs each skill with case volumes and audit results. The accredited surgical technology degree and BLS that employers require are listed where a recruiter looks first.
Why this resume works:
- Perform the scrub role on about 70 total joint, sports and hand cases a month, including robotic surgery.
- Manage loaner implant trays from 6 vendors, confirming sterility and counts on each set before use.
- Support 4 high-volume surgeons' blocks by anticipating instrument needs, keeping first-case starts on time 95% of the time.
Endoscopy Technician Resume Example
Endoscopy technician postings ask for endoscopy procedures, aseptic technique, infection control practices, universal precautions and medical terminology, and each appears here with daily volumes and results such as zero failed culture tests. The scope reprocessing certificate and BLS sit up front, and 5 years in two GI labs fit the mid level.
Why this resume works:
- Set up rooms for 20 to 30 colonoscopies, EGDs and ERCPs a day, passing snares and forceps with aseptic technique.
- Run endoscope reprocessing for 40+ flexible scopes a day, with zero failed culture tests in 2025.
- Manage specimen handling for 300+ biopsy cases a month, labeling and logging each one with no lost samples.
Anesthesia Technician Resume Example
Anesthesia technician postings ask for anesthesia equipment, sterile technique, sterilization, medical terminology and Excel, and this resume shows each in work such as daily checks in 30 ORs and an Excel par report that cut waste by $18K. The Cer.A.T. credential and BLS are listed as certificates, and 5 years fit the mid level.
Why this resume works:
- Check and calibrate anesthesia machines, monitors and suction in 30 ORs before first cases each day.
- Set up arterial lines, central lines and rapid infusers for 15 to 20 cardiac and trauma cases a week.
- Respond to difficult airway calls with video laryngoscopes and fiberoptic scopes, arriving within 3 minutes.
Surgical Assistant Resume Example
Surgical assistant postings ask for aseptic technique, surgical procedures, manual dexterity, attention to detail and OSHA knowledge, and this resume shows each in first-assist work such as 500+ closures a year under the infection benchmark. The CSA, CST and BLS credentials sit in certificates, and 9 years with 5 as a first assistant fit the senior level.
Why this resume works:
- Perform first-assist duties on 40 to 50 general, vascular and orthopedic cases a month across 3 hospitals.
- Handle wound closure with suture and staples on 500+ cases a year, keeping infection rates under the 1.2% benchmark.
- Position patients with anesthesia and nursing using pressure-injury protocols, with zero positioning injuries.
Certified Surgical First Assistant Resume Example
Certified surgical first assistant postings ask for suctioning, safe tissue handling, critical thinking and attention to detail, and the bullets show exposure, bleeding control and layered closure on 400+ cases a year. The CSFA, CST and BLS credentials employers require are listed as certificates, and 10 years with 5 as a CSFA fit the senior level.
Why this resume works:
- Perform first-assist duties on 35 to 45 cardiothoracic, general and robotic cases a month for 6 surgeons.
- Conduct endoscopic harvesting of radial arteries and saphenous veins for 10 to 12 bypass cases a month.
- Control bleeding with cautery, clips and ties, and manage suctioning to keep open-heart fields clear.
What employers ask for in surgical technologist job postings
Surgical Technologist job postings in the US, October 2026
- 6,665
- active US job postings
- 872
- employers hiring
- 1 yr
- median experience asked
- 56%
- ask for 1 year or less
Technical skills and tools employers name
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| aseptic technique | 13% |
| sterile technique | 11% |
| surgical procedures | 9% |
| human anatomy | 6% |
| aseptic techniques | 6% |
| medical terminology | 6% |
Make sure your resume shows
- Graduate of an accredited surgical technologist program (46% of employers)
- High school diploma or equivalent (29% of employers)
- 1 to 2 years of surgical technologist experience (28% of employers)
- Current BLS certification (16% of employers)
- Knowledge of surgical instruments, equipment and supplies (13% of employers)
- Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) from NBSTSA, preferred (13% of employers)
- Good communication and teamwork skills (10% of employers)
- Knowledge of surgical asepsis and sterile technique (9% of employers)
Duties to build your bullet points around
What employers write most often under responsibilities. Show each one with a result (numbers, scale, outcome), not a copy of the duty.
- Prepare the OR, instruments, equipment and sterile supplies for each case (44%)
- Help position and prepare patients for surgery (17%)
- Set up and keep sterile fields through the procedure (14%)
- Clean the OR and help with room turnover (9%)
- Follow infection control and safety standards (6%)
- Count instruments, sponges, needles and sharps (7%)
The examples on this page, in job postings
| Example | US postings | Median years asked |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical Technologist I | 91 | 1 |
| Operating Room Assistant | 59 | 1 |
| Surgical Technologist | 1,032 | 1 |
| Surgical Technologist II | 130 | 1 |
| Certified Surgical Technologist | 428 | 1 |
| Endoscopy Technician | 183 | 1 |
| Anesthesia Technician | 148 | 2 |
| Surgical Assistant | 68 | 1 |
| Certified Surgical First Assistant | 82 | 2 |
Which job title to put on your resume: the titles employers use most, so recruiters and applicant tracking systems search for them: Surgical Technologist (300 employers), Surgical Technician (172 employers), Certified Surgical Technologist (122 employers), Endoscopy Technician (93 employers), Anesthesia Technician (81 employers).
Source: Owlapply analysis of active US job postings, October 2026. Requirements and duties are grouped by meaning from the postings' own bullet lists and counted once per employer.
Advertised pay, experience and the skills employers ask for: Surgical Technologist pay and requirements.
Check your surgical technologist resume against a real job posting
- Paste a surgical technologist job posting into the job match score tool to see which of its skills your resume is missing.
- Upload your resume to the ATS resume checker to read the text an applicant tracking system gets from it.
Surgical Technologist resume sample (text you can copy)
This is the text of the Surgical Technologist example above. Paste it into the resume builder and replace the details with your own.
Surgical Technologist resume sample
ALICIA MORENO
Surgical Technologist
Nashville, TN · (615) 555-0173 · [email protected] · linkedin.com/in/aliciamoreno
SUMMARY
Surgical Technologist with 5 years of experience scrubbing general, orthopedic, cardiovascular and robotic surgical procedures at a Level I trauma center and an outpatient surgery center. Keeps sterile technique and aseptic technique tight, anticipates surgeon needs through strong human anatomy and instrumentation knowledge, and precepts new technologists.
EXPERIENCE
Surgical Technologist, Music City Medical Center, Nashville, TN | 03/2023 - Present
- Perform the scrub role on 50 to 60 cases a month across general, orthopedic, cardiovascular and robotic services.
- Maintain sterile fields for cases up to 8 hours long, with zero retained-item events in 3 years.
- Organize instrumentation and implants for 15+ orthopedic trauma cases a month, including night and weekend call.
- Train 6 new technologists and students on medical terminology, counts and room setup.
Surgical Technologist, Cumberland Surgery Center, Franklin, TN | 06/2021 - 02/2023
- Handled 15 to 20 ENT, GYN and plastic surgery cases a week on a fast outpatient schedule.
- Cut average room turnover from 24 to 17 minutes with a standard back table setup.
- Updated 80 surgeon preference cards after cases, reducing delays from missing items.
- Verified sterility indicators and dates on every tray, catching 40 compromised packs in one year.
Sterile Processing Technician (Part-Time), Harpeth Valley Hospital, Nashville, TN | 08/2019 - 05/2021
- Assembled and sterilized 50 instrument trays per shift for a 20-room surgical department.
- Inspected instruments for damage and sent 90 items for repair in 2020.
- Recorded sterilizer loads and biological indicator results for every shift.
- Built 30 tray count sheets for new orthopedic sets.
EDUCATION
Associate of Applied Science, Surgical Technology, Nashville State Community College, Nashville, TN | 05/2021
SKILLS
Aseptic Technique, Sterile Technique, Surgical Procedures, Instrumentation, Medical Terminology, Human Anatomy, Physiology, Room Turnover, Attention to Detail, Teamwork
CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Surgical Technologist (CST), National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) (06/2021)
Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association (03/2025)
How to write a surgical technologist resume
Write a surgical technologist resume summary
- Open with your OR experience and the setting: hospital size, trauma level or surgery center, and your monthly case volume.
- Name your specialties, such as general, orthopedic, OB/GYN, cardiovascular, neuro or robotic cases.
- Put CST and BLS in the first lines; about 46% of employers ask for an accredited program and about 13% prefer the CST.
- If you are new, name your program, clinical rotation hours and cases scrubbed, plus any sterile processing or CNA work.
Surgical Technologist I summary (entry level)
Surgical Technologist I with 14 months of operating room experience at a 400-bed hospital, scrubbing about 35 general, OB/GYN and orthopedic surgical procedures a month. Accredited program graduate with CST and BLS, strict sterile technique, accurate counts, quick room turnover and 18 months of prior sterile processing work.
Surgical Technologist summary (mid level)
Surgical Technologist with 5 years of experience scrubbing general, orthopedic, cardiovascular and robotic surgical procedures at a Level I trauma center and an outpatient surgery center. Keeps sterile technique and aseptic technique tight, anticipates surgeon needs through strong human anatomy and instrumentation knowledge, and precepts new technologists.
Surgical Assistant summary (senior level)
Certified Surgical Assistant with 9 years in the operating room, including 5 years first-assisting general, vascular and orthopedic surgical procedures. Provides retraction, hemostasis, suturing and wound closure under surgeon direction, keeps strict aseptic technique, and follows OSHA and hospital safety standards on every case.
Write surgical technologist experience bullets
- Give cases a month by specialty and say whether you scrub alone or under supervision.
- Show safety results: zero count discrepancies, no retained-item events, no sterile field breaks in audits.
- Report speed and flow, such as average room turnover time or first-case starts on time.
- For senior roles, count the techs and students you precept, instrument sets you reviewed, or closures you complete as a first assistant.
Surgical Technologist experience bullets
- Perform the scrub role on 50 to 60 cases a month across general, orthopedic, cardiovascular and robotic services.
- Maintain sterile fields for cases up to 8 hours long, with zero retained-item events in 3 years.
- Organize instrumentation and implants for 15+ orthopedic trauma cases a month, including night and weekend call.
- Train 6 new technologists and students on medical terminology, counts and room setup.
Pick the skills for a surgical technologist resume
- Communication (about 18% of postings), aseptic technique (about 13%), sterile technique (about 11%), interpersonal skills (about 10%) and surgical procedures (about 9%) lead the list.
- Aseptic technique, surgical procedures, human anatomy (about 6%) and medical terminology (about 6%) are asked for more here than in other jobs; show them in bullets about counts, setups and specialties rather than listing them alone.
- List the equipment you work with, such as robotic systems, microscopes, endoscopes, loaner implant trays or anesthesia machines.
Do's and don'ts
Do this
- List your accredited surgical technology program, or your military training program, with its graduation year.
- Put CST, BLS and any CSA, CSFA, Cer.A.T. or scope reprocessing credential in a certificates section near the top.
- Give case volumes and specialties in every job.
- Mention call, nights and weekends if you take them; trauma and on-call coverage matters to hospitals.
Avoid this
- Don't write "assisted surgeons" without the cases, specialties and your role in the room.
- Don't leave out clinical rotations if you are a new graduate; they are your OR experience.
- Don't skip counts and sterile field results; they are the safety proof employers want.
- Don't send a scrub tech resume to an endoscopy or anesthesia tech job unchanged; name scope reprocessing or anesthesia equipment work.
Related resume examples
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- Biologist
- Ultrasound Technologist
- Coach
- Tailor
- Model
Surgical Technologist resume questions
What should I put on a surgical technologist resume?
A summary with your OR setting, case volume and specialties, jobs with counts, turnover and sterile field results, a skills list, your program and your certifications. About 46% of employers ask for graduation from an accredited surgical technologist program, and about 16% ask for current BLS. The duty they write most is preparing the OR, instruments, equipment and sterile supplies for each case.
How much experience do surgical technologist jobs ask for?
Of the 1,784 postings that state experience, the median ask is 1 year, and about 56% ask for a year or less. About 28% of employers ask for 1 to 2 years as a surgical technologist. Most roles in the examples ask for about 1 year, and the anesthesia technician and certified surgical first assistant roles for about 2.
Do I need the CST to get a surgical tech job?
Many employers prefer it rather than require it; about 13% name the CST from NBSTSA as preferred. Graduating from an accredited program is asked for more often, by about 46%. If you hold the CST, put it after your name and in your certificates section.
How do I write a surgical technologist resume with no experience?
Lead with your accredited program, graduation date and clinical rotations, with the cases you scrubbed by specialty. Add BLS, the CST if you passed it, and any sterile processing, CNA or OR assistant work. About 56% of postings that state experience ask for a year or less, so a new graduate can apply to many of them.
What goes on an endoscopy technician resume?
Show procedures supported a day, such as colonoscopies, EGDs and ERCPs, scopes reprocessed and culture test results. Add specimen handling and equipment checks between cases. Endoscopy technician roles in the examples ask for about 1 year, and a scope reprocessing certificate and BLS belong near the top.
What goes on an anesthesia technician or surgical assistant resume?
An anesthesia technician resume shows equipment checks, line and airway setups, point-of-care tests and supply work, with the Cer.A.T. credential if you hold it. A surgical assistant resume shows first-assist cases a month, closures, hemostasis and infection or complication rates, with CSA or CSFA, CST and BLS listed. In the examples, the anesthesia technician role asks for about 2 years and the surgical assistant role for about 1.