Sterile Processing Technician job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

12

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$47,700

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Medical Equipment Preparers (O*NET-SOC 31-9093.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Examine equipment to detect leaks, worn or loose parts, or other indications of disrepair. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Check sterile supplies to ensure that they are not outdated. importance 4.6 of 5
3. Record sterilizer test results. importance 4.6 of 5
4. Organize and assemble routine or specialty surgical instrument trays or other sterilized supplies, filling special requests as needed. importance 4.6 of 5
5. Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed. importance 4.6 of 5
6. Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization. importance 4.5 of 5
7. Disinfect and sterilize equipment, such as respirators, hospital beds, or oxygen or dialysis equipment, using sterilizers, aerators, or washers. importance 4.4 of 5
8. Purge wastes from equipment by connecting equipment to water sources and flushing water through systems. importance 4.4 of 5
9. Maintain records of inventory or equipment usage and order medical instruments or supplies when inventory is low. importance 4.4 of 5
10. Attend hospital in-service programs related to areas of work specialization. importance 4.3 of 5
11. Report defective equipment to appropriate supervisors or staff. importance 4.3 of 5
12. Start equipment and observe gauges and equipment operation to detect malfunctions and to ensure equipment is operating to prescribed standards. importance 4.3 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Documenting/Recording Information, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Controlling Machines and Processes and Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Deliver equipment to specified hospital locations or to patients' residences.
• Stock crash carts or other medical supplies.
• Assist hospital staff with patient care duties, such as providing transportation or setting up traction.
• Install and set up medical equipment, using hand tools.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Biology, Production and Processing and Public Safety and Security.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Kronos Workforce Timekeeper, MEDITECH software, eClinicalWorks EHR software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a sterile processing technician.

The most common answer among sterile processing technicians surveyed by O*NET is a high school diploma or equivalent (44%).

Job title: Sterile Processing Technician
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Sterile Processing Technician to prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Examine equipment to detect leaks, worn or loose parts, or other indications of disrepair.
- Check sterile supplies to ensure that they are not outdated.
- Record sterilizer test results.
- Organize and assemble routine or specialty surgical instrument trays or other sterilized supplies, filling special requests as needed.
- Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed.
- Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization.
- Disinfect and sterilize equipment, such as respirators, hospital beds, or oxygen or dialysis equipment, using sterilizers, aerators, or washers.
- Purge wastes from equipment by connecting equipment to water sources and flushing water through systems.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in critical thinking, quality control analysis and monitoring
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Kronos Workforce Timekeeper or MEDITECH software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $47,700 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $22.93. BLS estimates about 77,420 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Medical Equipment Preparers to grow 10.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,700 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full sterile processing technician salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real sterile processing technician posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Examine equipment to detect leaks, worn or loose parts, or other…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only sterile processing technician work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (critical thinking and quality control analysis); sterile processing technician interview questions turns them into practice questions.