How long should it take me to get back to work after arthroscopic shoulder surgery?

Depends: Recovery time can be variable after shoulder arthroscopy. If the surgery is ablative, such as removing some frayed tissue or bone spurs, sling wear is short, and recovery of function can be relatively rapid (2-3 mos). If a repair of some kind is required (cuff repair, labrum repair), sling is usually worn for 6 weeks, and total recovery can be upwards of 6 months or more.

6-8 weeks: This depends greatly on the procedures performed during the surgery as well as your occupation. Most arthroscopic shoulder surgeries take 6-12 weeks to recover from, but people with desk jobs often can return to work in 2-3 weeks in a sling with activity restrictions. People who work in manual labor jobs with heavy lifting may not be able to return to full duty for 3 months.