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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Get Access To All JobsSurgical Technologist III
Location: 5330 Overpass Dr, Suite100, Buda, 78610
Shift: FT Days 6:30am-3pm
Must have 2 years of experience
JOB SUMMARY
The Surgical Technologist 3 functions in the inter operative phase of patient care to expedite surgical procedures, under the direction and supervision of a Registered Nurse. This position assists the surgical team through the use of equipment and instrumentation to ensure that the operating room environment is safe and that required equipment is available and functioning properly. Assumes responsibility for maintenance of equipment, instruments and supplies for a specified surgical service line, acting as liaison of this service to surgeons and other team members.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE ROLE
- Discusses any special needs with the surgeon before surgery and scrubs into surgery in an adequate time for proper preparation of instruments before the surgeon scrubs in.
- Prepares the operative site by aseptically cleaning and patient clipping, as needed.
- Prepares and maintains the instrument table(s) in an organized and comprehensive manner to avoid damage to instrumentation. Identifies damaged or incomplete trays, rectifies discrepancy immediately, or contacts those that can help in order to avoid delays or injury.
- Sets up the operating room according to surgical procedure schedules; arranges sterile set up of instrument table supplies and equipment required for specific procedure, carefully selecting and opening only needed supplies.
- Scrubs for cases in all major surgical services according to established procedures and standards requiring advanced knowledge of anatomy, surgical instruments, Surgeon preferences, and other technical knowledge.
- Ensures the proper functioning of surgical instruments, equipment and supplies during surgical procedures.
- Performs surgical counts of sponges, sharps, instruments, and misc items, according to established policies and procedures.
- Anticipates the needs of the surgeon and surgical team staff. Passes sterile supplies and equipment to surgeons and assistants during procedures, holds retractor devices, and acts to anticipate and respond to the surgical team’s needs during course of surgery.
- Assists the surgical team with draping and positioning the patient.
- Receives surgical specimens following specimen protocol, and passes the specimen(s) off the sterile field to circulating Nurse, verifying source of specimen.
- Disassembles surgical instrumentation as indicated at end of the procedure, recycles as indicated, and appropriately disposes of sharps, fluids, and waste at end of the surgical procedure.
- Prepares soiled instrumentation for proper transportation to decontamination area.
- Ensures the cleaning, decontamination, sterilization, maintenance, and preparation of surgical instruments, equipment, and supplies for distribution.
- Cleans the operating room following each case, and returns equipment to appropriate storage areas.
- Follows infection control policies, Association of perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) recommendation practices, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines, and other regulatory requirements in order to assure a safe work environment for self, coworkers and patients.
- Ensures proper orientation and knowledge of all equipment and instrumentation prior to patient use.
- Maintains inventory of clean and sterilized surgical equipment, instruments and supplies in accordance with established policies and procedures and regulatory standards. Collaborates and maintains control of maintenance of inventory; orders supplies, documents equipment use and cart supplies, and maintains applicable records and files.
KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
- Knowledge of infection prevention and regulatory sterilization standards.
- Knowledge of the theory and application of sterile and aseptic technique.
- Knowledge of human anatomy, surgical procedures and implementation tools and technologies to assist surgeons with invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures.
- Good verbal and written communication skills and interpersonal skills to interact with surgical and central sterile processing team members.
- Occasional exposure to chemical and radiation hazards.
Successful completion of:
- a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited OR other nationally accredited surgical technologist program. Additionally, holds and maintains certification as a (CST) surgical technologist by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) or the National Center for Competency Testing or their successor OR
- Successful Completion of formal training program for surgical technology in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard of the United States or in the United States Public Health Service Commissioner OR
- Was employed to practice surgical technology in a health care facility before September 1, 2009
BENEFITS
Our competitive benefits package includes the following:
- Immediate eligibility for health and welfare benefits
- 401(k) savings plan with dollar-for-dollar match up to 5%
- Tuition Reimbursement
- PTO accrual beginning Day 1
Note: Benefits may vary based upon position type and/or level
QUALIFICATIONS
-
EDUCATION - Grad of an Accredited Program
-
EXPERIENCE - 2 Years of Experience
-
CERTIFICATION/LICENSE/REGISTRATION -
Basic Life Support (BLS): BLS or BLS within 30 days of hire or transfer.
Cert Surgical Technologist (CST): If candidate completed military/Public Health Service ST training or worked as an ST before 9/1/2009 HS/GED is sufficient. Otherwise, candidate must have both GAP (accredited ST program) and current CST (NBSTSA or NCCT).
Surgical Technologist III
Location: 5330 Overpass Dr, Suite100, Buda, 78610
Shift: FT Days 6:30am-3pm
Must have 2 years of experience
JOB SUMMARY
The Surgical Technologist 3 functions in the inter operative phase of patient care to expedite surgical procedures, under the direction and supervision of a Registered Nurse. This position assists the surgical team through the use of equipment and instrumentation to ensure that the operating room environment is safe and that required equipment is available and functioning properly. Assumes responsibility for maintenance of equipment, instruments and supplies for a specified surgical service line, acting as liaison of this service to surgeons and other team members.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE ROLE
- Discusses any special needs with the surgeon before surgery and scrubs into surgery in an adequate time for proper preparation of instruments before the surgeon scrubs in.
- Prepares the operative site by aseptically cleaning and patient clipping, as needed.
- Prepares and maintains the instrument table(s) in an organized and comprehensive manner to avoid damage to instrumentation. Identifies damaged or incomplete trays, rectifies discrepancy immediately, or contacts those that can help in order to avoid delays or injury.
- Sets up the operating room according to surgical procedure schedules; arranges sterile set up of instrument table supplies and equipment required for specific procedure, carefully selecting and opening only needed supplies.
- Scrubs for cases in all major surgical services according to established procedures and standards requiring advanced knowledge of anatomy, surgical instruments, Surgeon preferences, and other technical knowledge.
- Ensures the proper functioning of surgical instruments, equipment and supplies during surgical procedures.
- Performs surgical counts of sponges, sharps, instruments, and misc items, according to established policies and procedures.
- Anticipates the needs of the surgeon and surgical team staff. Passes sterile supplies and equipment to surgeons and assistants during procedures, holds retractor devices, and acts to anticipate and respond to the surgical team’s needs during course of surgery.
- Assists the surgical team with draping and positioning the patient.
- Receives surgical specimens following specimen protocol, and passes the specimen(s) off the sterile field to circulating Nurse, verifying source of specimen.
- Disassembles surgical instrumentation as indicated at end of the procedure, recycles as indicated, and appropriately disposes of sharps, fluids, and waste at end of the surgical procedure.
- Prepares soiled instrumentation for proper transportation to decontamination area.
- Ensures the cleaning, decontamination, sterilization, maintenance, and preparation of surgical instruments, equipment, and supplies for distribution.
- Cleans the operating room following each case, and returns equipment to appropriate storage areas.
- Follows infection control policies, Association of perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) recommendation practices, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines, and other regulatory requirements in order to assure a safe work environment for self, coworkers and patients.
- Ensures proper orientation and knowledge of all equipment and instrumentation prior to patient use.
- Maintains inventory of clean and sterilized surgical equipment, instruments and supplies in accordance with established policies and procedures and regulatory standards. Collaborates and maintains control of maintenance of inventory; orders supplies, documents equipment use and cart supplies, and maintains applicable records and files.
KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
- Knowledge of infection prevention and regulatory sterilization standards.
- Knowledge of the theory and application of sterile and aseptic technique.
- Knowledge of human anatomy, surgical procedures and implementation tools and technologies to assist surgeons with invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures.
- Good verbal and written communication skills and interpersonal skills to interact with surgical and central sterile processing team members.
- Occasional exposure to chemical and radiation hazards.
Successful completion of:
- a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited OR other nationally accredited surgical technologist program. Additionally, holds and maintains certification as a (CST) surgical technologist by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) or the National Center for Competency Testing or their successor OR
- Successful Completion of formal training program for surgical technology in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard of the United States or in the United States Public Health Service Commissioner OR
- Was employed to practice surgical technology in a health care facility before September 1, 2009
BENEFITS
Our competitive benefits package includes the following:
- Immediate eligibility for health and welfare benefits
- 401(k) savings plan with dollar-for-dollar match up to 5%
- Tuition Reimbursement
- PTO accrual beginning Day 1
Note: Benefits may vary based upon position type and/or level
QUALIFICATIONS
-
EDUCATION - Grad of an Accredited Program
-
EXPERIENCE - 2 Years of Experience
-
CERTIFICATION/LICENSE/REGISTRATION -
Basic Life Support (BLS): BLS or BLS within 30 days of hire or transfer.
Cert Surgical Technologist (CST): If candidate completed military/Public Health Service ST training or worked as an ST before 9/1/2009 HS/GED is sufficient. Otherwise, candidate must have both GAP (accredited ST program) and current CST (NBSTSA or NCCT).
See all 282+ 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.