Are you a detail-oriented person looking for a rewarding health career? If you think you would thrive in the fast-paced world of a hospital operating room, consider a career as a surgical technologist. Our Surgical Technologist program will prepare you to go straight to work where you'll be a key member of the medical team in the operating room.
Surgical Technologist at a Glance
to complete1
tuition2
What Can I Study?
I Want to Go to Work
Can I Get a Job?
Dallas College offers a variety of certificates and degrees to help you gain the skills you need to start working right away.
- These credentials are often considered Career and Technical Education (CTE).
- These credentials are established with the assistance and cooperation of representatives from local business, to meet local and regional employment needs.
- Higher level certificates and degrees will typically lead to a higher salary in the workforce.
- Workforce (CE) Certificates can often be completed faster than traditional credit certificates but typically do not offer college credit.
- Level 1, Level 2, Enhanced Skills certificates and others, offer college credit and are often stackable to help you build skills as you work towards an Associate Degree.
- Workforce credentials may give you college credit at Dallas College, but they may not transfer to other colleges or universities.
If you're unsure if this is the right path for you, you can talk to a Pathway Specialist for advice.
Pathway Specialist
- 972-669-6400
- PathwaySpecialist@DallasCollege.edu
What Can I Earn? Will There Be Plenty of Jobs?
Job openings are growing for surgical technologists, who manage equipment and help ensure excellent patient care in the operating room. Check out a few of the incredible career opportunities you’ll be ready for. Your future starts here!
Medical Equipment Preparers
$24/hr
Median Salary
167
Job Openings
+20%
Projected Outlook
Top Skills:
- Critical Thinking
- Quality Control Analysis
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Operations Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Troubleshooting
- Active Learning
- Coordination
Surgical Assistants
$40/hr
Median Salary
65
Job Openings
+15%
Projected Outlook
Top Skills:
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Service Orientation
- Operations Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
- Social Perceptiveness
Surgical Technologists
$37/hr
Median Salary
234
Job Openings
+13%
Projected Outlook
Top Skills:
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Operations Monitoring
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Time Management
- Reading Comprehension
- Learning Strategies
- Service Orientation
All jobs data gathered for Dallas/Fort Worth. Source: Dallas College Labor Market Intelligence and Lightcast4.
“I earned the certificate with good grades and was well prepared for the certified surgical technologist examination, which I passed in September 2008.”
The Surgical Technologist program is located in the Downtown Health Sciences Center (formerly El Centro’s Center for Allied Health and Nursing) at 301 N. Market St., a block north of the El Centro downtown campus. Opened in 2008 to house El Centro’s allied health programs, the center comprises 55 classrooms and labs that contain some of the most advanced equipment available to educate health care students.
The center’s high-tech equipment includes:
- Teaching labs that simulate surgical and hospital settings for specific program applications.
- Microphones and cameras in each classroom to capture audio and video instruction.
- Three classrooms with videoconferencing for two-way viewing.
- Two simulation labs with computerized patient mannequins.
Graduates of our Surgical Technologist program are eligible for the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting Certified Surgical Technologist Exam. Certification is a requirement of employment as a surgical technologist in Texas.
The Surgical Technologist program has its own admissions process, timeline and requirements. View the additional application and admissions information.
Please email the Health Occupations Admissions Office or call 972-669-6400, press 1 for Admissions, followed by 2 for Nursing and Allied Health Admissions, to receive an information packet and information session details.
This program also requires a criminal background check and drug testing.
Outcomes Assessment Examination (OAE) Pass Rate:
| Year | Number of Graduates | Number of Graduates who took CST Exam | Number of Graduates who Passed CST Exam | Percentage of Graduates that Passed CST Exam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 - 2024 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 93% |
| 2022 - 2023 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 60% |
| 2021 - 2022 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 93% |
| 2020 - 2021 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 88% |
| 2019 - 2020 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 86% |
The Surgical Technologist program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting. The professional organization for surgical technologists is the Association of Surgical Technologists, and the national certification exam is administered by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting.
Find Out More About Surgical Technologist
Sign up to receive additional information about Surgical Technologist or call 972-669-6400.
School of Health Sciences
- 972-669-6400
- AskSOHS@DallasCollege.edu
Dallas College
- 972-669-6400
- Text College to 214-978-6457
- StudentHelp@DallasCollege.edu
1Length of time is based on catalog degree plans. Prerequisites may be required, which are not included in this estimate. For most programs, full-time student status is assumed, a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.
2Cost is based on tuition rates for program hours for Dallas County residents. The price of most required learning materials (books, software, supplies, etc.) is included with the price of tuition. Visit our Paying for College site to learn more about cost, financial aid, scholarships and more.
3Each location offers a unique combination of certificate and degree options. Not all degree and certificate offerings are available for admission/start at all campuses every semester.
4A portion of Lightcast’s data comes from O*NET Online by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Lightcast has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
HB1508 Notice
This program may lead to an occupational license for which a prior criminal history may make a student ineligible.
For more information, please visit dallascollege.edu/hb1508.