Central supply technician vs sterile processing technician

The differences between central supply technicians and sterile processing technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sterile processing technician has an average salary of $38,299, which is higher than the $35,231 average annual salary of a central supply technician.

The top three skills for a central supply technician include patients, sterile processing and customer service. The most important skills for a sterile processing technician are patients, sterilizers, and IAHCSMM.

Central supply technician vs sterile processing technician overview

	Central Supply Technician	Sterile Processing Technician
Yearly salary	$35,231	$38,299
Hourly rate	$16.94	$18.41
Growth rate	1%	8%
Number of jobs	30,995	21,592
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Associate Degree, 30%
Average age	38	43
Years of experience	-	2

What does a central supply technician do?

Central Supply Technicians are responsible for the administration and dispensing of surgical and medical supplies. Their duties include ordering supplies, filling supplies in supply cabinets, bulk rooms, carts, and central inventory, conducting par areas inspections, performing pallet break-downs, and undertaking supplies inspection for package integrity. They also carry out cycle counts, organize carts and cabinets, report for needed repairs, and manage the issuance of procedural carts and trays.

What does a sterile processing technician do?

A sterile processing technician is responsible for performing the sterilization process and decontamination for all laboratory equipment and medical equipment to avoid the spread of infections, especially on medical procedures and critical laboratory tests. Sterile processing technicians follow a strict process of sterilizing equipment, including replacing defective tools, and proper waste procedures of disposable items. They must also adhere to the safety and sanitary standards on duty. They monitor inventories, deliver sterilized equipment to appropriate medical personnel, and organize equipment for medical procedures.

Central supply technician vs sterile processing technician salary

Central supply technicians and sterile processing technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Central Supply Technician	Sterile Processing Technician
Average salary	$35,231	$38,299
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $46,000	Between $29,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	Monterey, CA	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Mohawk Valley Health System	Blessing Hospital Emergency Room
Best paying industry	Media	Government

Differences between central supply technician and sterile processing technician education

There are a few differences between a central supply technician and a sterile processing technician in terms of educational background:

	Central Supply Technician	Sterile Processing Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Associate Degree, 30%
Most common major	Business	Medical Technician
Most common college	-	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Central supply technician vs sterile processing technician demographics

Here are the differences between central supply technicians' and sterile processing technicians' demographics:

	Central Supply Technician	Sterile Processing Technician
Average age	38	43
Gender ratio	Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0%	Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 9.5% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	6%	9%

Differences between central supply technician and sterile processing technician duties and responsibilities

Central supply technician example responsibilities.

Cataloge property, maintain property records and manage inventory using PBUSE system.
Assist home RN and hospice staff with ADL's.
Practice & enforce HIPPA patient privacy guidelines.
Order supplies, maintain records and compile information using Microsoft office such as word, excel, and PowerPoint.
Reconcile charges for outsource services to ensure patients are billed accurately.
Develop PowerPoint presentations that assist in supply management and logistics oversight.

Sterile processing technician example responsibilities.

Connect the patients to monitors such as EKG leads and pulse ox monitor.
Train Honduras hospital personnel on AAMI and IAHCSMM standards.
Position or transport patients to and from the Endo suite.
Experience with portable procedures in ER, IR and ICU.
Assist doctor's with ERCP procedures RX system (short wire).
Blood draw's, EKG'S, splinting and assisting doctor with sutures.

Central supply technician vs sterile processing technician skills

Common central supply technician skills

Patients, 18%
Sterile Processing, 13%
Customer Service, 11%
Infection Control, 8%
Surgery, 5%
Surgical Instruments, 5%

Common sterile processing technician skills

Patients, 18%
Sterilizers, 10%
IAHCSMM, 8%
Customer Service, 6%
Medical Terminology, 4%
Cleanliness, 4%

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Central Supply Technician
Central Supply Technician vs Sterile Processing Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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