OPT Surgical Technologist Jobs
Surgical Technologist jobs on OPT are available at hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and specialty clinics across the U.S. Most roles require CST certification or eligibility, and STEM OPT extension does not apply to this field. Standard OPT gives you 12 months to secure employer authorization.
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35005 Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center - Nursing: Labor and Delivery
Status:
Full time
Benefits Eligible:
Yes
Hours Per Week:
36
Schedule Details/Additional Information:
Full Time Nights, weekend and holiday requirement
Pay Range:
$25.30 - $37.95
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
Graduation from a Surgical Technology program or from an accredited school of Nursing.
LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION, and/or REGISTRATION:
Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification required. Certification in specialty area preferred.
Our Commitment to You:
Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including:
Compensation
- Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
- Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job
- Incentive pay for select positions
- Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
Benefits and more
- Paid Time Off programs
- Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
- Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
- Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
- Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
- Educational Assistance Program
Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.
Renders care to assigned patients under the direction of the Registered Nurse (RN) including assisting with direct patient care activities; preparing and stocking the Operating Room before and after surgery; gathering clean and sterile supplies; setting up sterile instrument fields; maintaining and monitoring aseptic techniques.
Department:
35005 Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center - Nursing: Labor and Delivery
Status:
Full time
Benefits Eligible:
Yes
Hours Per Week:
36
Schedule Details/Additional Information:
Full Time Nights, weekend and holiday requirement
Pay Range:
$25.30 - $37.95
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
Graduation from a Surgical Technology program or from an accredited school of Nursing.
LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION, and/or REGISTRATION:
Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification required. Certification in specialty area preferred.
Our Commitment to You:
Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including:
Compensation
- Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
- Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job
- Incentive pay for select positions
- Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
Benefits and more
- Paid Time Off programs
- Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
- Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
- Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
- Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
- Educational Assistance Program
Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.
Renders care to assigned patients under the direction of the Registered Nurse (RN) including assisting with direct patient care activities; preparing and stocking the Operating Room before and after surgery; gathering clean and sterile supplies; setting up sterile instrument fields; maintaining and monitoring aseptic techniques.
See all 281+ OPT Surgical Technologist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Surgical Technologist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Surgical Technologist
Target high-volume surgical facilities
Large hospital systems and multi-specialty surgical centers hire surgical technologists at higher volumes than small clinics. Higher hiring volume means more familiarity with OPT work authorization and less resistance to the paperwork involved.
Get your CST before you apply
Most employers require or strongly prefer Certified Surgical Technologist credentials. Sitting for the CST exam before job searching removes a common hiring barrier and signals readiness to work independently from day one.
Apply early in your OPT window
Surgical technologist onboarding typically takes four to six weeks due to credentialing and background checks. Applying at least two months before your start date gives employers enough runway to process your work authorization comfortably.
Address OPT proactively with recruiters
Hospital recruiters often flag OPT candidates as complicated without understanding the process. Briefly explaining that your EAD card authorizes employment without employer sponsorship often resolves hesitation before it becomes a rejection.
Focus on scrub-heavy OR environments
Busy operating rooms at trauma centers, orthopedic surgery centers, and cardiovascular units have persistent staffing shortages. Facilities with chronic understaffing are more willing to work through OPT paperwork to fill critical roles quickly.
Highlight clinical rotation hours and specialties
Employers want to know what surgical specialties you scrubbed during your program. Listing specific procedures and case counts from your clinical training makes your application stand out against candidates with vague or generic experience descriptions.
Surgical Technologist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Surgical Technologist on OPT?
Yes. If your degree is in surgical technology or a closely related allied health field, working as a surgical technologist is a qualifying use of OPT. Your employment must be directly related to your major area of study. Your EAD card authorizes you to work without your employer filing any additional immigration petition.
Does Surgical Technologist qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
No. Surgical technology programs are classified under CIP code 51.0909, which is not on the DHS STEM designated degree program list. That means your OPT authorization is limited to 12 months. Planning your job search timeline around this constraint is essential, since you cannot extend to 24 months the way engineering or computer science graduates can.
Do Surgical Technologist employers commonly sponsor H-1B visas?
It is less common than in fields like software engineering, but it does happen. Hospital systems that regularly hire foreign-educated allied health workers are most likely to have experience with H-1B visa sponsorship. During OPT, it is worth having a direct conversation with your employer about H-1B sponsorship before your OPT expiration approaches, since cap registration opens each March.
Where can I find Surgical Technologist jobs that are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate lists surgical technologist roles from employers who are open to hiring OPT students. Filtering by visa-friendly employers saves significant time compared to applying broadly and discovering authorization issues late in the hiring process. Searching on Migrate Mate helps you focus your applications on facilities that already understand OPT work authorization.
What happens to my OPT authorization if I lose my Surgical Technologist job?
You have a 90-day unemployment allowance across your entire OPT period. If you lose your job, that clock starts immediately. You must report the change to your DSO within 10 days. Finding a new qualifying surgical technologist role before exhausting those 90 days is critical, since exceeding the limit ends your OPT status.