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Medical Equipment Preparers

Prepares the operating room and hands instruments to surgeons during operations.

Typical education to startHigh school diploma or equivalent
Job outlook2025–2035: +11%
Median pay$47,700 a year (2025)
Interest codeRCI Realistic, Conventional, Investigative

Read the full guide

Surgical technologists set up sterile instruments and equipment, help the surgical team during operations, and keep everything sterile and counted. They work in hospital operating rooms and surgery centers.

Open the surgical technologist guide

The guide checks the courses against your plan, with things to try each year. Free account needed.

High school courses that build toward it

  • English 10 · English

    Builds reading and writing, which this job uses.

  • Foods and Culinary · Career and Technical

    Builds working with customers and clients, which this job uses.

  • Physical Education · Health and PE

    Builds working with customers and clients, which this job uses.

  • Biology · Science

    Builds biology, which this job uses.

  • Pre-Algebra · Math

    Builds math, which this job uses.

  • Computer Science Principles · Computer Science

    Builds computers and electronics, which this job uses.

Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.

Medical Equipment Preparers on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.