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Operating Theatre Technicians

ANZSCO ID 311214

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,100
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
75%
Female Share
23%
Average age
46
About this data

Summary

Operating Theatre Technicians prepare and maintain operating theatres and their equipment, assist the surgical team during operations and provide support to patients in the recovery room.

Tasks

  • Sets up, checks and maintains operating theatres, anaesthetic workstations, life support machines and associated equipment.

Characteristics

Job Type
Technicians And Trades Workers
Skill Level
Medium skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
3112 Medical Technicians
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
  • Helping
Physical Demand
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Medical Technicians, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 75% of people employed as Operating Theatre Technicians work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 9 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.

Industries

Main industries

1
Health Care and Social Assistance
95.7%
2
Public Administration and Safety
1.2%
3
Administrative and Support Services
0.7%
4
Education and Training
0.4%
5
Other industries
0.9%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

6.7% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

76.3% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

9.2% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

2.7% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

2.2% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.1% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.8% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.0% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Operating Theatre Technicians All Jobs Average
NSW 6.7 31.6
VIC 76.3 25.6
QLD 9.2 20.0
SA 2.7 7.0
WA 2.2 10.8
TAS 2.1 2.0
NT 0.8 1.0
ACT 0.0 1.9


  • Around 68% of Operating Theatre Technicians live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
46
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
23%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Operating Theatre Technicians is 46 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 23% of the workforce. This is 25 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Operating Theatre Technicians All Jobs Average
15-19 0.4 5.0
20-24 5.5 9.3
25-34 16.5 22.9
35-44 23.4 22.0
45-54 30.2 21.6
55-59 14.6 9.0
60-64 7.0 6.0
65 and Over 2.5 4.2
Median Age 46 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A certificate III or IV in health services assistance or operating theatre technical support is usually needed to work as an Operating Theatre Technician.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Health Industry and Laboratory Operations VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Operating Theatre Technicians All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 1.9 10.1
Bachelor degree 12.8 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 10.1 11.6
Certificate III/IV 51.4 21.1
Year 12 13.9 18.1
Year 11 3.9 4.8
Year 10 and below 6.0 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Medical Technicians who have good people skills, a high attention to detail and are accurate.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 55%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 54%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 50%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 50%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 45%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 45%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 45%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 43%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 43%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 43%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 43%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 43%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 43%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 43%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 43%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 43%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 41%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

  • 39%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 36%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 34%

    Management of material resources

    Providing the right equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do work.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 70%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 66%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 51%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 50%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 49%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 44%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 42%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 40%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 35%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 33%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 31%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 30%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 30%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 29%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 29%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 26%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 25%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 24%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 23%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 22%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 55%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 55%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 55%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 54%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 54%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 52%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 50%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 50%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 48%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 48%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 48%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 45%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 43%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 43%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 43%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 41%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 32%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 78%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 77%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 72%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 72%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 71%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 71%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 69%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 68%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 67%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 67%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 63%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 63%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 60%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 58%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 55%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 53%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 53%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 51%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 45%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 44%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 86%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 71%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 57%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 33%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 33%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 86%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 86%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 67%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 62%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 57%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 52%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 99%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 97%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 96%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 93%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 93%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 93%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 92%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 91%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 90%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 90%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 87%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 86%

    Disease or infection

    Be exposed to disease or infections.

  • 85%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 85%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 84%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 82%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 81%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 80%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 80%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 79%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 29-2055.00 - Surgical Technologists.

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