Your work. Your records.
Surgical Technologist Workplace Records Guide
Surgical technologists work within a team where preparation, instrument handling and counts have distinct responsibilities. For an employment concern, describe your assignment and the instructions you received without making a personal copy of the clinical record.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Assignment change
Record the time, source and general scope of a change in room or support duties.
Reported concern
Note when you raised a process concern and the response without identifying the patient or procedure.
Preparation time
Include required setup and end-of-shift handoff in your own work-time account.
Start with the work you actually do
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.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Surgical Technologists (29-2055.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.Source task 15242 · updated 08/2026
- Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.Source task 1959 · updated 08/2026
- Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.Source task 1960 · updated 08/2026
- Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.Source task 1961 · updated 08/2026
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Surgical Technologists (SOC 29-2055). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $18.88 | $23.76 | $28.84 | $49,420 |
| Alaska | $30.52 | $38.65 | $44.94 | $80,380 |
| Arizona | $30.10 | $34.74 | $40.17 | $72,260 |
| Arkansas | $22.84 | $27.60 | $30.48 | $57,400 |
| Connecticut | $28.43 | $38.41 | $45.70 | $79,890 |
| Delaware | $26.22 | $29.93 | $35.59 | $62,250 |
| Florida | $25.20 | $30.02 | $36.14 | $62,440 |
| Georgia | $24.27 | $30.77 | $37.70 | $64,010 |
| Hawaii | $28.76 | $39.73 | $42.39 | $82,640 |
| Idaho | $29.56 | $34.88 | $37.33 | $72,550 |
| Indiana | $28.96 | $30.89 | $37.12 | $64,240 |
| Iowa | $24.37 | $29.11 | $30.23 | $60,540 |
| Kansas | $23.56 | $29.13 | $32.49 | $60,600 |
| Kentucky | $24.18 | $29.08 | $32.04 | $60,490 |
| Louisiana | $22.79 | $27.58 | $30.19 | $57,370 |
| Maine | $27.04 | $30.22 | $36.19 | $62,860 |
| Michigan | $24.95 | $30.44 | $36.77 | $63,320 |
| Minnesota | $34.97 | $38.56 | $41.55 | $80,210 |
| Mississippi | $22.65 | $23.95 | $28.65 | $49,810 |
| Missouri | $24.37 | $29.39 | $32.89 | $61,120 |
| Montana | $23.64 | $29.31 | $33.93 | $60,970 |
| Nebraska | $27.74 | $30.71 | $33.10 | $63,880 |
| New Hampshire | $31.39 | $36.08 | $39.22 | $75,040 |
| New Mexico | $22.84 | $24.90 | $31.16 | $51,780 |
| New York | $30.96 | $38.25 | $47.18 | $79,550 |
| North Carolina | $24.78 | $29.29 | $32.94 | $60,920 |
| North Dakota | $25.46 | $29.63 | $30.16 | $61,640 |
| Ohio | $26.63 | $30.01 | $35.48 | $62,420 |
| Oklahoma | $25.35 | $29.42 | $31.31 | $61,190 |
| Pennsylvania | $25.03 | $30.14 | $34.63 | $62,680 |
| Rhode Island | $30.68 | $35.64 | $39.19 | $74,130 |
| South Dakota | $24.87 | $28.79 | $30.72 | $59,870 |
| Tennessee | $24.67 | $29.10 | $30.98 | $60,530 |
| Texas | $24.09 | $31.35 | $38.84 | $65,220 |
| Utah | $23.65 | $30.15 | $37.00 | $62,720 |
| Vermont | $24.54 | $29.17 | $34.75 | $60,660 |
| Virginia | $28.42 | $32.49 | $40.44 | $67,580 |
| West Virginia | $19.00 | $23.61 | $29.62 | $49,110 |
| Wisconsin | $30.30 | $35.64 | $37.99 | $74,120 |
| Wyoming | $24.18 | $28.29 | $31.24 | $58,850 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Define your role in the shift
Note the room assignment, scheduled hours and whether you were reassigned before or during the shift. Describe the preparation or support duties involved in general terms. Keep the timing of the reassignment separate from any later performance feedback.
Separate observation from review
If a concern involves a count or sterile-field process, record when you raised it and who directed the next step. Do not attempt to settle clinical responsibility in personal notes. Distinguish what you witnessed from what you learned during a later review.
Protect procedure information
Do not retain surgical schedules, patient identifiers, count sheets or images from the operating room. Use permitted employment or training records and a nonidentifying timeline. Identify where an official report is maintained for an authorized reviewer.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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