Will AI replace surgical technologists?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 8h (100%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 5% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 5 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 7 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

8h of a typical shift, or 100%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation. (2h 5m a shift)
• Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures. (1h 15m a shift)
• Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card. (44m a shift)
• Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists. (31m a shift)
• Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure. (31m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 100% work at arm's length or closer to other people
• 96% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 84% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety

On Indeed, job postings in the Medical Technician sector are at 125% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), down 2.6% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 7,100 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $64,650 a year ($31.08 an hour), 27% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $45,940 and $96,940 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 124,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 7,100 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 117,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.08% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 249th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 124,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is an associate's degree: about 41% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Management of Material Resources, Equipment Maintenance, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 8h of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: MEDITECH software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Schedule surgical procedures for patients.
• Transport patients to and from the operating room.

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Surgical Assistants (0m touched, $67k median pay)
• Endoscopy Technicians (7m touched, $48k median pay)
• Medical Equipment Preparers (19m touched, $48k median pay)
• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (57m touched, $74k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 16 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.