Sterile Processing Technician

You receive used instruments from the operating rooms, clean them, inspect them for wear or damage, and run them through steam autoclaves and other sterilizers. You record sterilizer test results, check supplies for expiry dates, and assemble instrument trays, including special requests, ready for the next surgery.

Where you could work

Hospitals (central sterile / sterile processing departments), Other health care facilities with sterile processing departments

Schedule

O*NET reports that most people in this job work a 40-hour week. Sterile processing departments support operating rooms, so ask employers which shifts they staff.

Physical demands

Mostly standing and walking, with repetitive hand motions and frequent handling of instruments and trays. O*NET reports that most people in this job are exposed to disease or infections every day, so protective equipment and procedures matter.

Patient contact

Low

Typical training

Certificate often preferred/required by employer

Training time

3–12 months

1. 1.Finish high school or an equivalent

   O*NET reports most new hires need a high school diploma or equivalent (44%) or a post-secondary certificate (31%).

2. 2.Complete a sterile processing training course or learn on the job

   Short certificate programs cover decontamination, sterilization and instrument assembly. A training course is also one route to the CBSPD technician exam.

3. 3.Log hands-on hours

   The HSPA CRCST credential requires 400 hours of hands-on experience in a sterile processing department, either in the five years before applying or within six months of passing the exam (provisional certification).

4. 4.Earn a certification

   The two main credentials are the CRCST from HSPA and the CSPDT from CBSPD. A few states require certification, and employers elsewhere often prefer or require one.

For reference only (not this page's pay figure): BLS median, May 2025, national: $47,700 a year (source, opens in a new tab). BLS and O*NET report sterile processing technicians under Medical Equipment Preparers (31-9093). O*NET's reported job titles for that code include Central Sterile Technician, CRCST and Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician. BLS has no full Handbook profile for this code; its wage and outlook figures are in the Handbook's 'Data for Occupations Not Covered in Detail' table.