Indiana Surgical Technologist Requirements

Overview

Indiana has a dedicated Certified Surgical Technologists law in Indiana Code Title 25, Article 36.1 that both protects the “certified surgical technologist” title and sets requirements to practice surgical technology in a health care facility, subject to specific exceptions.^[1][2][3] In practice, individuals must be nationally certified, have qualifying military training, show grandfathered experience before July 1, 2009, be within twelve months of graduation from an accredited surgical technology program, work in certain federal roles, or be found competent by the health care facility in order to perform surgical technology in Indiana facilities.^[2][3][5]

State Classification

Indiana is generally classified as a certification‑required state for surgical technologists because the law links practice in health care facilities to certification or one of several defined training or experience options.^[1][2][3] Indiana also protects the “certified surgical technologist” title and use of the initials “CST” for individuals who hold and maintain the Certified Surgical Technologist credential administered by NBSTSA.^[1][4]

Statutory Requirements

Indiana Code 25‑36.1‑2‑5 provides that, except as allowed under section 4, an individual may not practice surgical technology in a health care facility unless the individual meets one of six requirements: certification under IC 25‑36.1‑1, completion of a qualifying U.S. military surgical technology program, evidence of employment as a surgical technologist in a health care facility before July 1, 2009, federal employment, practice during the twelve‑month period immediately following graduation from an accredited school of surgical technology, or having “the appropriate abilities” as determined by the health care facility.^[2][6] These statutory pathways create multiple ways to qualify while making clear that practicing surgical technology in Indiana facilities is restricted to individuals who meet at least one of the listed standards.^[2][3][6]

Chapter 1 of Article 36.1 adds that an individual may not profess to be a certified surgical technologist or use the initials “CST” or similar wording indicating that they are a certified surgical technologist unless they hold and maintain the Certified Surgical Technologist credential administered by NBSTSA, and violations of this chapter are subject to penalties.^[1][4] Indiana’s surgical technology law does not prevent licensed practitioners, such as physicians or nurses, from performing surgical‑technology functions if they are acting within the scope of their license.^[2][3]

Employer Standards in Indiana

Because Indiana’s law is enforced through health care facilities, employers play a key role in verifying whether each surgical technologist fits one of the statutory categories before they may work in the operating room.^[2][3][6] Indiana State Assembly materials emphasize that hospitals and surgery centers usually treat graduation from an accredited surgical technology program and current CST® certification as the preferred way to satisfy the law, even though other options exist for military‑trained or grandfathered technologists.^[3][4][8]

Facilities also have to track annual continuing‑education compliance for technologists who qualify under the certification, military‑training, or grandfather provisions, and they may add their own policies on competency assessments, orientation, and skills validation.^[2][3] As a result, Indiana employers rely on accredited education, national certification, and internal credentialing processes to show that their surgical technologists meet both statutory and facility standards.^[3][4][8]

Certification Requirements

Under IC 25‑36.1‑1‑1, Indiana recognizes and protects the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST®) credential, and only individuals who hold and maintain that credential may represent themselves as certified surgical technologists or use the CST initials in Indiana.^[1][4] Certification under IC 25‑36.1‑1 is also one of the primary pathways listed in IC 25‑36.1‑2‑5 that allows an individual to practice surgical technology in a health care facility, alongside military‑training, grandfather, and post‑graduation options.^[1][2][6]

AST and other state‑summary resources describe Indiana as a state where CST® is the standard credential for surgical technologists, and facilities frequently require proof of current CST® certification even when a person might qualify under another statutory pathway.^[3][4][8] Maintaining active CST® status requires compliance with NBSTSA recertification rules, and Indiana employers often incorporate those national requirements into their credentialing policies for surgical technologists.^[4][8]

Registration or Licensure Requirements

Indiana’s Certified Surgical Technologists statute functions as a practice and title‑protection law rather than a traditional license with a separate state license number for every surgical technologist, and it is codified in Indiana Code Title 25, Article 36.1.^[1][2][3] Health care facilities are responsible for confirming that each surgical technologist on staff fits at least one of the statutory categories—such as being certified under IC 25‑36.1‑1, having military training, qualifying under the July 1, 2009 grandfather provision, or meeting post‑graduation or facility‑ability criteria—before allowing them to practice surgical technology.^[2][3][6]

Individuals who also hold other Indiana professional licenses, such as nursing or respiratory therapy, continue to be regulated by their respective licensing boards and statutes for activities performed under those licenses, while Indiana’s surgical technologist law governs their performance of surgical‑technology functions in health care facilities.^[3][6]

Renewal Requirements

IC 25‑36.1‑2‑5 requires that an individual who is described in subsection (a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(3)—that is, someone who is certified under IC 25‑36.1‑1, has completed a qualifying military surgical technology program, or was employed as a surgical technologist before July 1, 2009—and who is practicing surgical technology in a health care facility must complete fifteen hours of continuing education concerning surgical technology each year to continue practicing.^[2][6] The individual must establish to the satisfaction of the health care facility that they have complied with this requirement and must notify the facility if their status changes, and facilities must keep documentation of compliance.^[2][6]

For certified surgical technologists, national CST® recertification requirements apply in addition to Indiana’s statutory continuing‑education rule, so employers may require documentation that both state CE expectations and NBSTSA recertification standards are being met as part of periodic credentialing reviews.^[1][4][8]

Background Checks

Indiana’s surgical technologist statute focuses on who may practice and what continuing education is required, while health care facility licensure rules and employer policies typically address criminal background checks, drug screening, and other hiring requirements for operating‑room staff.^[3][4] Hospitals and surgery centers in Indiana commonly apply system‑wide onboarding standards to surgical technologists that are similar to those used for other allied health professionals in perioperative settings.^[3][4]

Scope of Practice

Indiana Code 25‑36.1‑2‑3 defines “surgical technology” as intraoperative surgical patient care that includes preparing the operating room, setting up and maintaining the sterile field, ensuring equipment is functioning, and performing tasks at the sterile field under direction of the surgeon and operating room circulator.^[2][3][7] In the workplace, Indiana surgical technologists perform the standard perioperative duties described in national role definitions, such as arranging and managing instruments and sterile supplies, assisting with gowning and gloving, passing instruments, handling specimens, and participating in counts under the supervision of surgeons and perioperative nurses.^[3][4][8]

They do not independently diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, or determine treatment plans; those responsibilities remain with licensed physicians and advanced‑practice nurses.^[2][4]

Governing Agency

Indiana Code Title 25, Article 36.1 is part of the state’s broader professional‑regulation framework and is implemented through state health‑care facility regulators and individual hospitals that verify whether surgical technologists meet statutory requirements.^[2][3] The Association of Surgical Technologists and NBSTSA provide the national certification and legislative context that Indiana references when describing how certified surgical technologists should be educated, credentialed, and recognized in the state.^[1][4][8]

Statute Citations

• Statute: Indiana Code 25‑36.1‑1‑1 – Certified surgical technologist; prohibits an individual from professing to be a certified surgical technologist or using the initials “CST” unless the individual holds and maintains the Certified Surgical Technologist credential administered by NBSTSA and sets penalties for violations.^[1][4]
• Statute: Indiana Code 25‑36.1‑2‑5 – Requirements to practice surgical technology in a health care facility; lists qualifying certification, military‑training, grandfather, federal‑employment, post‑graduation, and facility‑ability options, requires fifteen hours of annual continuing education for certain practitioners, and outlines documentation responsibilities for individuals and facilities.^[2][6]
• Definition Section: Indiana Code 25‑36.1‑2‑3 – “Surgical technology” definition describing intraoperative surgical patient care activities such as preparing the operating room, maintaining the sterile field, and performing tasks at the sterile field under supervision.^[3][7]

Indiana Surgical Technologist Salary & Job Outlook

National Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data for Surgical Technologists (SOC 29‑2055) report an annual mean wage of about $60,900 across the United States as of May 2023, with earnings varying by region, facility type, and experience level.^[4] CareerExplorer and other salary resources note that surgical technologists in Indiana often earn average wages below the national mean, with typical ranges from the high‑$30,000s to around the low‑$60,000s depending on region, experience, and credentials.^[9] More recent job‑posting aggregators such as Indeed show higher current estimates for some Indiana employers, especially in larger cities and for highly experienced or travel technologists, highlighting strong demand and wage growth in certain markets.^[5] Overall, job outlook for surgical technologists in Indiana is steady, supported by hospital and ambulatory‑surgery volumes and by the state’s law that ties operating‑room practice to defined education and certification pathways.^[3][4][9]

Summary

Indiana’s Certified Surgical Technologists law restricts surgical‑technology practice in health care facilities to individuals who meet defined certification, education, military‑training, or experience criteria and protects the CST® title for those who hold and maintain national certification.^[1][2] Health care facilities must verify compliance with these statutory pathways and annual continuing‑education requirements, and many employers prefer or require ongoing CST® certification to align with national standards for surgical technologist competency and patient safety.^{[1][2][3][4][8]}

References

• [1] Indiana Code 25‑36.1‑1‑1. “Certified surgical technologist” – title‑protection and CST®‑only provisions, as compiled in the Indiana Surgical Technologist Certification Law PDF and current Indiana Code. Available at: https://www.ast.org/legislation/documents/IN_ST_Certification_Law.pdf and https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-25/article-36-1/chapter-1/section-25-36-1-1-1/.^{[web:921][web:923]}
• [2] Indiana Code 25‑36.1‑2‑5. “Requirements to practice surgical technology in a health care facility” – lists qualifying pathways and requires fifteen hours of annual continuing education for certain practitioners. Available at: https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-25/article-36-1/chapter-2/section-25-36-1-2-5/.^[web:920]
• [3] Indiana Code Title 25, Article 36.1, Chapter 2. “Practicing Surgical Technology” – chapter index covering definitions, operating room circulator provisions, and related sections. Available at: https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-25/article-36-1/chapter-2/.^[web:922]
• [4] Association of Surgical Technologists. “State Law Overview – Surgical Technologists” – national summary describing Indiana as a state with a Certified Surgical Technologists law that sets education and certification expectations tied to practice in health care facilities. Available at: https://www.ast.org/Public_Policy/Legislative_Overview/.^[web:881]
• [5] Legal and professional commentary on Indiana’s surgical technology law, including guidance on how medical assistants and other staff may or may not function as surgical technologists under IC 25‑36.1‑2‑5. Example: “Indiana Medical Assistants as Surgical Technologists – Legal Eye.” Available at: https://aamalegaleye.wordpress.com/2024/11/27/indiana-medical-assistants-as-surgical-technologists/.^[web:924]
• [6] Association of Health Care Journalists. “HospitalInspections.org – Indiana Code 25‑36.1‑2‑3 ‘Surgical technology’” – inspection commentary referencing Indiana’s definition of surgical technology and facility responsibilities.^[web:926]
• [7] Indiana Code 25‑36.1‑2‑3. “Surgical technology” – definition describing intraoperative surgical patient care tasks such as preparing the operating room, maintaining the sterile field, and performing tasks at the sterile field under supervision.^[web:922]
• [8] Indiana State Assembly of AST. “Bylaws / Indiana Surgical Technologist Education and Certification Law” – excerpts and commentary on Article 36.1 and the role of CST® certification in Indiana practice. Available at: https://www.indianastateassembly.org/bylaws.^[web:928]
• [9] CareerExplorer. “Surgical technologist salary in Indiana” – salary overview reporting an average annual salary around $47,670 for surgical technologists in Indiana, with typical ranges from about $37,500 to $60,780. Available at: https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/surgical-technologist/salary/indiana/.^[web:927]
• [10] Indeed. “Surgical technologist salary in Indiana” – current job‑posting‑based estimates for surgical technologists in Indiana, including higher pay levels in certain cities and employers. Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career/surgical-technologist/salaries/IN.^[web:925]
• [11] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023 – 29‑2055 Surgical Technologists” – OEWS data with national and state wage and employment estimates, including Indiana, and a national annual mean wage of $60,900 for surgical technologists. Available at: https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes292055.htm.^[web:40]