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AI Job Risk

Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Surgical Technologists?

Lower risk

Baseline AI displacement risk for Surgical Technologists, aggregated from 6 research sources.

What this score means

Surgical Technologists is among the least exposed roles in Healthcare. Most of what the job involves still sits outside what current AI can do, even as the tools around it keep changing. At 13 out of 100 it scores 9 points below the Healthcare average of 22. Across the 6 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 5 to 20, so the score is a weighted consensus rather than any single figure.

The number is a consensus estimate for the typical version of the role, built from published academic and industry research scored occupation by occupation. It is not a prediction about any individual. How scoring works

What this job actually involves

Exposure follows the work itself rather than the job title, so it is worth seeing what the role is made of. These are the tasks O*NET records for Surgical Technologists, most central first, showing 12 of 16.

  • 01Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
  • 02Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
  • 03Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
  • 04Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
  • 05Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
  • 06Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
  • 07Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
  • 08Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
  • 09Monitor 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.

Task statements from O*NET by the National Center for O*NET Development, used under CC BY 4.0. The tasks are descriptive; the exposure score above is ours.

The research behind this score

This baseline aggregates 6 research sources that scored Surgical Technologists for AI and automation exposure. More recent, higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.

Common questions

How likely is AI to replace Surgical Technologists?
Published research puts Surgical Technologists at 13 out of 100 for AI displacement risk, in the lower risk band. The number is a weighted consensus of 6 research sources and describes the typical version of the role, not any individual.
Do researchers agree on the risk for Surgical Technologists?
Broadly, yes. Individual estimates for Surgical Technologists run from 5 to 20 out of 100 across the 6 sources behind this score, a fairly tight range. More recent and higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.
Which healthcare roles face similar AI exposure?
The closest published healthcare roles to Surgical Technologists by score are Anesthesiologist Assistants (13/100), Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (13/100), and Nurse Anesthetists (13/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Also covers

Certified Surgical Technician · Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) · Operating Room Surgical Technician (OR St) · Operating Room Surgical Technologist · Operating Room Technician (OR Tech) · Operating Room Technologist (OR Tech) · Scrub Technician · Surgery Technician (Surgery Tech) and related titles

Estimated displacement window

The dated estimate for this role is included in the full personalised report.

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Informational guidance based on published research, not professional career or financial advice. Scores update as new research is ingested.