Central sterilization technician vs sterilization specialist

The differences between central sterilization technicians and sterilization specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a central sterilization technician and a sterilization specialist. Additionally, a sterilization specialist has an average salary of $57,057, which is higher than the $38,089 average annual salary of a central sterilization technician.

The top three skills for a central sterilization technician include sterile processing, patients and sterilizers. The most important skills for a sterilization specialist are OSHA, autoclaves, and AAMI.

Central sterilization technician vs sterilization specialist overview

	Central Sterilization Technician	Sterilization Specialist
Yearly salary	$38,089	$57,057
Hourly rate	$18.31	$27.43
Growth rate	8%	10%
Number of jobs	13,053	4,372
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Central sterilization technician vs sterilization specialist salary

Central sterilization technicians and sterilization specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Central Sterilization Technician	Sterilization Specialist
Average salary	$38,089	$57,057
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $50,000	Between $38,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	Turlock, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Opelousas General Health System	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between central sterilization technician and sterilization specialist education

There are a few differences between a central sterilization technician and a sterilization specialist in terms of educational background:

	Central Sterilization Technician	Sterilization Specialist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Business
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Boston University

Central sterilization technician vs sterilization specialist demographics

Here are the differences between central sterilization technicians' and sterilization specialists' demographics:

	Central Sterilization Technician	Sterilization Specialist
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 39.3% Female, 60.7%	Male, 42.3% Female, 57.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 9.6% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 9.1% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between central sterilization technician and sterilization specialist duties and responsibilities

Central sterilization technician example responsibilities.

Initiate tests and activate steam autoclaves, Sterrad sterilizer, ETO, gas plasma sterilizer, package sealer and cart washer.
Operate all sterilizers and sterilization equipment.
Maintain compliance with various standardization agencies such as AAMI and AORN.
Maintain all statewide OSHA guidelines and all internal policies and procedures of the hospital.
Operate steam, gas (ETO), and other methods of sterilization according to each hospital.
Maintain the cleanliness of work areas as required by completing daily logs and shift duties according to departmental policy.

Sterilization specialist example responsibilities.

Lead cross functional project team to build user-friendly windows base customer support applications which interface with the OmniPlan/OmniPlus mainframe application.
Facilitate the sterilization process of dental instruments in compliance with OSHA standards.
Perform steam, ETO and gamma yearly revalidations in according with ISO guidelines.
Follow OSHA requirements for disinfecting and preparing dental instruments for both the dentists and hygienists.
Architect FDA product application submission strategy for parametric release.
Investigate audit findings with regulatory implications, prepare comprehensive report for senior leadership, and develop targeted CAPA.

Central sterilization technician vs sterilization specialist skills

Common central sterilization technician skills

Sterile Processing, 21%
Patients, 21%
Sterilizers, 9%
Customer Service, 6%
Sterrad, 4%
Data Entry, 4%

Common sterilization specialist skills

OSHA, 18%
Autoclaves, 13%
AAMI, 12%
Sterilizers, 11%
ISO, 10%
FDA, 8%

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Central Sterilization Technician
Central Sterilization Technician vs Sterilization Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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