An operating theatre technician transports patients to and from the theatre and wards. They assist with moving patients when in the operating theatre and positioning the patient correctly for their procedure.

As well as giving technical support during an operation, an operating theatre technician is responsible for making sure the theatre and equipment are clean. They report on the malfunctioning of equipment and follow the hospital or day surgery’s health and safety procedures.

Operating theatre technicians work in operating theatres in public and private hospitals, and private day surgeries.

You need to have good communication skills to work in this role. You need empathy to be able to assist patients who may be apprehensive about their surgery. It is essential that you can work in a team, show good attention to detail, and have the ability to follow operating theatre protocols.

Middle of the range salary in Australia: $46,800
(Reference: ABS Labour Force Survey, 2018).

17,000 job openings over 5 years in Australia (that’s about 3,400 a year) for the category “Medical Technician”. Medical technicians include anaesthetic technicians, cardiac technicians, medical laboratory technicians, operating theatre technicians, pharmacy dispensary technicians, specimen collectors and other medical technicians.
(Reference: ABS Labour Force Survey, 2018).