Salary
Average Salary: $75,000
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $3,131,100
As a non-physician surgical assistant, you can expect to make a starting salary of $55,000 and an average salary of about $75,000 per year (source). Not enough to put you into the early retirement category, but overtime, bonuses, and profit-sharing (if you work in a hospital as an employee) can push it higher. The highest-paid surgical assistants are the ones who assist with orthopedic, robotics, open heart, obstetrics, and gynecology (source).
If you're up for more school, becoming a registered nurse or physician's assistant will increase your salary. When these indispensable medical workers function as surgical assistants, they're paid based on their primary professional salary, both of which are higher than a surgical assistant's (source). Whichever path you choose, you still get to play real-life Operation—and get paid for it.