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The differences between endoscopy technicians and sterile processing technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an endoscopy technician and a sterile processing technician. Additionally, a sterile processing technician has an average salary of $38,299, which is higher than the $37,154 average annual salary of an endoscopy technician.
The top three skills for an endoscopy technician include patients, patient care and BLS. The most important skills for a sterile processing technician are patients, sterilizers, and IAHCSMM.
| Endoscopy Technician | Sterile Processing Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,154 | $38,299 |
| Hourly rate | $17.86 | $18.41 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 35,685 | 21,592 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 30% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An endoscopy technician is primarily in charge of assisting physicians and nurses during endoscopy preparations and procedures. Their responsibilities often include thoroughly sterilizing the equipment before every process, making necessary adjustments in adherence to the needs of cases, handling the endoscope, and monitoring the condition and vital signs of patients. An endoscopy technician is also responsible for assisting patients, helping them prepare for every procedure, and answering their inquiries as needed. Furthermore, there are also instances when an endoscopy technician may help in biopsies or polyp removal.
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.
Endoscopy technicians and sterile processing technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Endoscopy Technician | Sterile Processing Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,154 | $38,299 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $46,000 | Between $29,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Blessing Hospital Emergency Room |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Government |
There are a few differences between an endoscopy technician and a sterile processing technician in terms of educational background:
| Endoscopy Technician | Sterile Processing Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 30% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | - | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between endoscopy technicians' and sterile processing technicians' demographics:
| Endoscopy Technician | Sterile Processing Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6% | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 8.9% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | 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 | 9% | 9% |