Surgical Assistants build coordination, service orientation and complex problem solving skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Respiratory Therapists (85%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Respiratory Therapists | 85% | $82,280 | +23% | None |
| 2 | Paramedics | 85% | $60,600 | −9% | None |
| 3 | Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | 84% | $74,310 | +11% | None |
| 4 | Surgical Technologists | 82% | $64,650 | −3% | None |
| 5 | Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 80% | $64,400 | −4% | None |
| 6 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | 78% | $95,480 | +43% | None |
| 7 | Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | 76% | $96,590 | +45% | None |
| 8 | Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | 76% | $80,110 | +20% | None |
| 9 | Nuclear Medicine Technologists | 75% | $101,370 | +52% | None |
| 10 | Critical Care Nurses | 75% | $97,550Pay for the broader BLS group “Registered Nurses” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
Compared with Surgical Assistants, median $66,800. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as surgical assistants (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
85% skill match · $82,280 · +23% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Repairing · Social Perceptiveness
85% skill match · $60,600 · −9% pay
Social Perceptiveness · Service Orientation · Instructing
84% skill match · $74,310 · +11% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Repairing · Operations Monitoring
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Respiratory Therapists (85% skill match, median $82,280), Paramedics (85% skill match, median $60,600) and Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (84% skill match, median $74,310), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 14 pay more than surgical assistants at the median. The biggest increases: Nurse Anesthetists (+254%, $236,590), Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (+84%, $122,890) and Radiation Therapists (+58%, $105,310).
20 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. One usually needs a graduate degree: Nurse Anesthetists.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.