Surgical First Assistant Jobs in Pennsylvania
Surgical First assistant jobs in Pennsylvania are concentrated in hospital systems, ambulatory surgical centers, and specialty surgical practices, with openings at every level from new graduate to senior scrub-in roles. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown anchor the bulk of hiring, where established systems like Penn Medicine, UPMC, and Lehigh Valley Health Network regularly staff surgical first assistant positions. Cardiothoracic, orthopedic, and neurosurgical specialties see the most consistent demand across Pennsylvania facilities. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 7+ Surgical First Assistant jobs
MPOWERHealth is looking for a highly skilled Surgical First Assist to join our growing team in Reading, PA as a 1099 Contractor. If you’re a dedicated OR professional who thrives in a fast-paced surgical environment, we want to hear from you!
What We’re Looking For:
- Strong operating room experience
- One of the following credentials: PA, NP, CSFA, LSA, or CSA
- A team-oriented mindset and commitment to clinical excellence
Responsibilities:
What You’ll Do:
Step into a critical role as the Surgical First Assist, providing expert support throughout procedures and ensuring everything runs seamlessly in the OR.
Set the stage for success by confirming cases, connecting with patients, explaining procedures, and coordinating details with the surgical team.
From patient positioning to maintaining a sterile field, you’ll anticipate the surgeon’s needs and collaborate closely with the OR team to ensure optimal outcomes.
Assist with safe patient transfer, deliver detailed PACU handoffs, and ensure accurate, timely documentation after every procedure.
Get involved beyond the OR—contribute to training, education, and process improvement initiatives that elevate clinical and operational performance.
Expand your capabilities by learning new surgical specialties and continuously advancing your skill set.
Qualifications:
- Must have at least 2 years of surgical assisting experience.
- Must have experience assisting in GYN, and Orthopedics.
- Spine experience is a plus.
- Must have excellent computer skills, specifically MS Office, and EMR.
- Must be a graduate of an Accredited Surgical Assist program.
- Must possess current state license where practicing.
- Ability to lift, sit, stand, or squat
- Constantly seeing, hearing, and speaking
- Frequent lifting to 20+ lbs. in addition to bending, reaching, standing, walking, and kneeling.
- Strong interpersonal skills with ability to adapt to different personalities and needs.
- Customer service-oriented mindset.
- Able to function independently, autonomously, and confidently.
#IND456
MPOWERHealth is looking for a highly skilled Surgical First Assist to join our growing team in Reading, PA as a 1099 Contractor. If you’re a dedicated OR professional who thrives in a fast-paced surgical environment, we want to hear from you!
What We’re Looking For:
- Strong operating room experience
- One of the following credentials: PA, NP, CSFA, LSA, or CSA
- A team-oriented mindset and commitment to clinical excellence
Responsibilities:
What You’ll Do:
Step into a critical role as the Surgical First Assist, providing expert support throughout procedures and ensuring everything runs seamlessly in the OR.
Set the stage for success by confirming cases, connecting with patients, explaining procedures, and coordinating details with the surgical team.
From patient positioning to maintaining a sterile field, you’ll anticipate the surgeon’s needs and collaborate closely with the OR team to ensure optimal outcomes.
Assist with safe patient transfer, deliver detailed PACU handoffs, and ensure accurate, timely documentation after every procedure.
Get involved beyond the OR—contribute to training, education, and process improvement initiatives that elevate clinical and operational performance.
Expand your capabilities by learning new surgical specialties and continuously advancing your skill set.
Qualifications:
- Must have at least 2 years of surgical assisting experience.
- Must have experience assisting in GYN, and Orthopedics.
- Spine experience is a plus.
- Must have excellent computer skills, specifically MS Office, and EMR.
- Must be a graduate of an Accredited Surgical Assist program.
- Must possess current state license where practicing.
- Ability to lift, sit, stand, or squat
- Constantly seeing, hearing, and speaking
- Frequent lifting to 20+ lbs. in addition to bending, reaching, standing, walking, and kneeling.
- Strong interpersonal skills with ability to adapt to different personalities and needs.
- Customer service-oriented mindset.
- Able to function independently, autonomously, and confidently.
#IND456
See All 7 Surgical First Assistant Jobs in Pennsylvania
Find roles in Pennsylvania that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Surgical First Assistant JobsSurgical First Assistant Jobs by City in Pennsylvania
Where Pennsylvania roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Surgical First Assistant Job Market in Pennsylvania
A snapshot from current Pennsylvania openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What Pennsylvania Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in surgical first assistant jobs across Pennsylvania.
- Active Pennsylvania-recognized CST or CSFA credential required by most hiring facilities
- Minimum two years of first-assisting or surgical scrub experience in an accredited setting
- BLS and ACLS certification current at time of hire
- Graduate of an accredited surgical technology or surgical assisting program
- Demonstrated competency in one or more specialty surgical service lines
- Ability to obtain hospital privileging and credentialing within 90 days of hire
Surgical First Assistant Jobs in Pennsylvania: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a surgical first assistant in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania does not issue a state-specific surgical first assistant license, so the path runs through national credentialing accepted by Pennsylvania employers. Most Pennsylvania hospitals and surgical centers require the Certified Surgical First Assistant credential from the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting or the CSFA from the American Board of Surgical Assistants. Candidates typically complete an accredited surgical technology or surgical assisting program, accumulate supervised clinical hours, and pass the relevant certification exam before applying.
How much do surgical first assistants make in Pennsylvania?
Surgical first assistants in Pennsylvania earn a median of about $60,550 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $43,080 for the lowest 10% to over $107,750 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire surgical first assistants in Pennsylvania?
Employers hiring surgical first assistants in Pennsylvania right now include MPOWERHealth, Penn State Health, and Penn Medicine, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Pennsylvania's large integrated health systems drive steady demand, particularly for surgical first assistants credentialed in high-volume specialty service lines.
Which Pennsylvania cities have the most surgical first assistant jobs?
Reading, Camp Hill, and Lancaster have the most surgical first assistant openings in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh lead because both cities are home to major academic medical centers and multi-hospital health systems, while Allentown and other Lehigh Valley communities have grown significantly as Lehigh Valley Health Network and nearby specialty surgical centers have expanded their operating room capacity.
Are there remote surgical first assistant jobs in Pennsylvania?
Yes, but they're rare. Surgical first assisting is a hands-on, sterile-field role that requires physical presence in the operating room, so remote work is not typical for the core position. About 0% of surgical first assistant openings tied to Pennsylvania are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and those listings generally involve administrative, education, or clinical coordination responsibilities rather than direct patient-side assisting.
How can I get hired as a surgical first assistant in Pennsylvania with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry point is a surgical technologist role at a large Pennsylvania health system, which builds the scrub-in hours required for first-assistant credentialing. UPMC and Penn Medicine both run structured new-graduate surgical technology residency and training tracks that accept candidates without post-graduation experience. From a surgical tech position, applying internally for first-assisting opportunities once you have your NBSTSA certification and required case counts gives you a clear, documented path that Pennsylvania hiring managers recognize.
Where can I find and apply to surgical first assistant jobs in Pennsylvania?
You can find and apply to surgical first assistant jobs in Pennsylvania on Migrate Mate, which lists current Pennsylvania openings updated regularly. Search the listings to see roles that match your specialty, experience level, and preferred location, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 7 Surgical First Assistant Jobs in Pennsylvania
Find roles in Pennsylvania that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Surgical First Assistant Jobs