Surgical Assistants
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 29-9093.00
Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons. May, in accordance with state laws, help surgeons to make incisions and close surgical sites, manipulate or remove tissues, implant surgical devices or drains, suction the surgical site, place catheters, clamp or cauterize vessels or tissue, and apply dressings to surgical site.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.19–0.30· 3 ISCO-08 groups
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
ILO value for each linked ISCO-08 group
- ISCO-08 3222Midwifery Associate Professionals0.20
- ISCO-08 3230Traditional and Complementary Medicine Associate Professionals0.19
- ISCO-08 3259Health Associate Professionals Not Elsewhere Classified0.30
Task-level exposure
Show 26 hidden tasks28 rated tasks · 2 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (7.1%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Assess skin integrity or other body conditions upon completion of the procedure to determine if damage has occurred from body positioning.O*NET Task ID 19290 | 0.5 |
Verify the identity of patient or operative site.O*NET Task ID 19315 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (28)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Adjust and maintain operating room temperature, humidity, or lighting, according to surgeon's specifications. | Core |
| Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers. | Core |
| Assess skin integrity or other body conditions upon completion of the procedure to determine if damage has occurred from body positioning. | Core |
| Assist in the insertion, positioning, or suturing of closed-wound drainage systems. | Core |
| Assist members of surgical team with gowning or gloving. | Core |
| Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment. | Core |
| Coordinate or participate in the positioning of patients, using body stabilizing equipment or protective padding to provide appropriate exposure for the procedure or to protect against nerve damage or circulation impairment. | Core |
| Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment. | Core |
| Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures. | Core |
| Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings. | Core |
| Assist in applying casts, splints, braces, or similar devices. | Core |
| Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events. | Core |
| Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field. | Core |
| Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures. | Core |
| Gather, arrange, or assemble instruments or supplies. | Core |
| Obtain or inspect sterile or non-sterile surgical equipment, instruments, or supplies. | Core |
| Operate sterilizing devices. | Core |
| Pass instruments or supplies to surgeon during procedure. | Core |
| Remove patient hair or disinfect incision sites to prepare patient for surgery. | Core |
| Verify the identity of patient or operative site. | Core |
| Coordinate with anesthesia personnel to maintain patient temperature. | Supplemental |
| Discuss with surgeon the nature of the surgical procedure, including operative consent, methods of operative exposure, diagnostic or laboratory data, or patient-advanced directives or other needs. | Supplemental |
| Incise tissue layers in lower extremities to harvest veins. | Supplemental |
| Monitor patient intra-operative status, including patient position, vital signs, or volume and color of blood. | Supplemental |
| Postoperatively inject a subcutaneous local anesthetic agent to reduce pain. | Supplemental |
| Assist in volume replacement or autotransfusion techniques. | Supplemental |
| Insert or remove urinary bladder catheters. | Supplemental |
| Transport patients to operating room. | Supplemental |
0.23/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Adjust and maintain operating room temperature, humidity, or lighting, according to surgeon's specifications. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Assess skin integrity or other body conditions upon completion of the procedure to determine if damage has occurred from body positioning. | E0 none |
| Assist in the insertion, positioning, or suturing of closed-wound drainage systems. | E0 none |
| Assist members of surgical team with gowning or gloving. | E0 none |
| Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment. | E0 none |
| Coordinate or participate in the positioning of patients, using body stabilizing equipment or protective padding to provide appropriate exposure for the procedure or to protect against nerve damage or circulation impairment. | E0 none |
| Coordinate with anesthesia personnel to maintain patient temperature. | E0 none |
| Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment. | E0 none |
| Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures. | E0 none |
| Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings. | E0 none |
| Assist in applying casts, splints, braces, or similar devices. | E0 none |
| Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events. | E0 none |
| Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field. | E0 none |
| Gather, arrange, or assemble instruments or supplies. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Obtain or inspect sterile or non-sterile surgical equipment, instruments, or supplies. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate sterilizing devices. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Pass instruments or supplies to surgeon during procedure. | E0 none |
| Transport patients to operating room. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Incise tissue layers in lower extremities to harvest veins. | E0 none |
| Postoperatively inject a subcutaneous local anesthetic agent to reduce pain. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Assist in volume replacement or autotransfusion techniques. | E0 none |
| Insert or remove urinary bladder catheters. | E0 none |
| Remove patient hair or disinfect incision sites to prepare patient for surgery. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 24K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 26K
- Change (2025–35)
- +6.1%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $66,800
- Typical education needed for entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24401 | 전문 간호사 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 3222Midwifery Associate Professionals
- ISCO-08 3230Traditional and Complementary Medicine Associate Professionals
- ISCO-08 3259Health Associate Professionals Not Elsewhere Classified
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- anaesthetic technicianESCO 3259.1Overlapping, not the same
Anaesthetic technicians assist specialised doctors in anaesthetics. They prepare operating theatres and other specialised clinics for anaesthetic procedures, prepare the equipment needed for anaesthesia, and assist with inducing and maintaining adequate anaesthesia and post-anaesthesia procedures. They do so under supervision, following the orders of the doctor of medicine.
- clinical perfusion scientistESCO 3211.1Overlapping, not the same
Clinical perfusion scientists operate heart-lung equipment during surgical operations to ensure breathing and blood circulation. They work as part of the surgical team, connect patients to the heart-lung machines in preparation for surgery, monitor their condition during surgery, report to the team on the patients' status and determine the necessary techniques according to their needs.
- doctors' surgery assistantESCO 3256.1Overlapping, not the same
Doctors' surgery assistants support doctors of medicine in medical measures, in performing simple support activities during medical procedures, standardised diagnostic programmes and standardised point-of-care tests, ensuring surgery hygiene, cleaning, disinfecting, sterilising and maintaining medical devices and performing the organisational and administrative tasks required for operating a doctor`s surgery under supervision, following the orders of the doctor of medicine.
- nurse assistantESCO 5321.1.1Overlapping, not the same
Nurse assistants provide basic patient care under direction of nursing staff. They perform duties such as feed, bathe, dress, groom, move patients or change linens and may transfer or transport patients.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| J1504 | Infirmier / Infirmière de bloc opératoire (IBODE) | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 2122 | Enfermeros especializados (excepto matronos) | Related, not a match |
| 5611 | Auxiliares de enfermería hospitalaria | Related, not a match |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 81332 | Berufe in der operations-/medizintechnischen Assistenz - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 81333 | Berufe in der operations-/medizintechnischen Assistenz - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 133 | 看護師（准看護師を含む） | Related, not a match |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources