Sterile processing technician demographics and statistics in the US
Sterile processing technician demographics research summary. Zippia estimates sterile processing technician demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our sterile processing technician estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about sterile processing technicians after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 49,205 sterile processing technicians currently employed in the United States.
- 61.7% of all sterile processing technicians are women, while 38.3% are men.
- The average sterile processing technician age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of sterile processing technicians is White (56.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.0%), Black or African American (9.9%) and Asian (9.5%).
- Sterile processing technicians are most in-demand in Los Angeles, CA.
- Los Angeles, CA pays an annual average wage of $57,110, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women sterile processing technicians earned 95% of what men earned.
- Massachusetts is the best state for sterile processing technicians to live.
- Sterile processing technicians are 89% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Sterile processing technician demographics by:
Sterile processing technician gender statistics
61.7% of sterile processing technicians are women and 38.3% of sterile processing technicians are men.
- Female, 61.7%
- Male, 38.3%
Sterile processing technician gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 61.7% |
| Male | 38.3% |
Sterile processing technician gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$41,232
Female income
$39,230
Sterile processing technician gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in sterile processing technician positions over time. Currently, 61.7% of sterile processing technicians are female.
Sterile processing technician gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 30.77% | 69.23% |
| 2011 | 32.88% | 67.12% |
| 2012 | 34.14% | 65.86% |
| 2013 | 32.58% | 67.42% |
| 2014 | 32.14% | 67.86% |
| 2015 | 36.28% | 63.72% |
| 2016 | 37.19% | 62.81% |
| 2017 | 41.94% | 58.06% |
| 2018 | 35.84% | 64.16% |
| 2019 | 40.19% | 59.81% |
| 2020 | 40.39% | 59.61% |
| 2021 | 38.26% | 61.74% |
Sterile processing technician related jobs gender ratio
We compared sterile processing technicians with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, delivery technician and donations attendant have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Pathology Transcriptionist | 3% | 97% |
| Radiology Transcriptionist | 5% | 95% |
| Certified Registered Dental Assistant | 5% | 95% |
| Sterile Processing Technician | 38% | 62% |
| Dental Officer | 79% | 21% |
| Donations Attendant | 81% | 19% |
| Delivery Technician | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Sterile processing technician demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among sterile processing technicians is White, which makes up 56.4% of all sterile processing technicians. Comparatively, 18.0% of sterile processing technicians are Hispanic or Latino and 9.9% of sterile processing technicians are Black or African American.
- White, 56.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.0%
- Black or African American, 9.9%
- Asian, 9.5%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
Sterile processing technician race
| Sterile processing technician race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 56.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.0% |
| Black or African American | 9.9% |
| Asian | 9.5% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.4% |
Sterile processing technician race and ethnicity over time
See how sterile processing technician racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Sterile processing technician race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.24% | 11.96% | 6.39% | 13.89% |
| 2011 | 65.21% | 12.49% | 5.78% | 13.66% |
| 2012 | 63.91% | 13.28% | 6.10% | 13.67% |
| 2013 | 62.74% | 12.99% | 7.63% | 13.24% |
| 2014 | 62.10% | 12.76% | 6.45% | 16.14% |
| 2015 | 64.29% | 9.56% | 7.52% | 14.88% |
| 2016 | 60.92% | 11.83% | 8.70% | 15.41% |
| 2017 | 61.16% | 12.35% | 6.63% | 17.09% |
| 2018 | 63.45% | 9.98% | 6.41% | 17.05% |
| 2019 | 61.25% | 9.60% | 8.05% | 17.42% |
| 2020 | 63.30% | 9.18% | 6.77% | 16.23% |
| 2021 | 56.38% | 9.85% | 9.53% | 18.01% |
Sterile processing technician wage gap by race
According to our data, asian sterile processing technicians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american sterile processing technicians have the lowest average salary at $39,850.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $40,383 |
| White | $41,217 |
| Black or African American | $39,850 |
| Asian | $43,297 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $41,494 |
Average sterile processing technician age
See how the average age of sterile processing technicians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Sterile processing technician age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 44 | 41.5 |
| Unknown | 34 | 36 |
| Asian | 48 | 50 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 33.5 | 40 |
| White | 41.5 | 43.5 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 37 |
Sterile processing technician age breakdown
The average age of sterile processing technicians is 40+ years years old, representing 55% of the sterile processing technician population.
Sterile processing technician age breakdown
| Sterile Processing Technician Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 55% |
| 30-40 years | 24% |
| 20-30 years | 19% |
Sterile processing technician educational attainment
The most common degree for sterile processing technicians is associate degree, with 30% of sterile processing technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 22% and high school diploma degree at 18%.
- Associate, 30%
- High School Diploma, 22%
- Bachelor's, 18%
- Diploma, 14%
- Other Degrees, 16%
Sterile processing technicians by degree level
| Sterile processing technician degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Associate | 30% |
| High School Diploma | 22% |
| Bachelor's | 18% |
| Diploma | 14% |
| Other Degrees | 16% |
Sterile processing technician jobs you might like
Sterile processing technician wage gap by degree level
According to the data, sterile processing technicians with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $46,823 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, sterile processing technicians earn a median annual income of $42,560 compared to $40,083 for sterile processing technicians with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $46,823 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $38,342 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $42,560 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $40,083 |
Sterile processing technician employment statistics
Most sterile processing technicians work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where sterile processing technicians work
Below, you can see the size of companies where sterile processing technicians work.
Sterile processing technician jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 9% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 13% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 47% |
| > 10,000 employees | 18% |
Sterile processing technician jobs by company type
Employees with the sterile processing technician job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most sterile processing technicians prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Sterile processing technician jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 7% |
| Public | 2% |
| Private | 89% |
| Government | 3% |
Sterile processing technician jobs by industry
The most common industries for sterile processing technicians are health care, professional and education.
Sterile processing technician industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 82% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Education | 4% |
| Government | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
Sterile processing technician turnover and employment statistics
Sterile processing technician unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for sterile processing technicians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sterile processing technician unemployment rate by year
| Year | Sterile processing technician unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.86% |
| 2011 | 7.25% |
| 2012 | 6.51% |
| 2013 | 5.74% |
| 2014 | 5.74% |
| 2015 | 4.27% |
| 2016 | 4.79% |
| 2017 | 2.96% |
| 2018 | 2.56% |
| 2019 | 3.74% |
| 2020 | 3.67% |
| 2021 | 4.13% |
Average sterile processing technician tenure
The average sterile processing technician stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 9,626 sterile processing technicians resumes in Zippia's database.
Sterile processing technician tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 26% |
| 1-2 years | 28% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Sterile processing technician LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of sterile processing technicians that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Expanded Function Dental Assistant | 4.40% | 69,681 |
| Medical Laboratory Assistant | 5.81% | 124,322 |
| Phlebotomist Supervisor/Instructor | 7.76% | 35,451 |
| Sterile Processing Technician | 8.56% | - |
| Medical Transcriber | 8.65% | 44,502 |
| Pharmacist Assistant | 9.41% | 47,082 |
| Clinical Massage Therapist | 13.02% | 79,875 |
Similar sterile processing technician jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Expanded Function Dental Assistant | 4.40% | 69,681 |
| Medical Laboratory Assistant | 5.81% | 124,322 |
| Phlebotomist Supervisor/Instructor | 7.76% | 35,451 |
| Medical Transcriber | 8.65% | 44,502 |
| Pharmacist Assistant | 9.41% | 47,082 |
| Clinical Massage Therapist | 13.02% | 79,875 |
Foreign languages spoken by sterile processing technicians
The most common foreign language among sterile processing technicians is Spanish at 68.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.3% and Tagalog is the third-most popular at 3.1%.
- Spanish, 68.5%
- French, 6.3%
- Tagalog, 3.1%
- Portuguese, 2.4%
- Filipino, 2.4%
- Other, 17.3%
Sterile processing technician languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 68.5% |
| French | 6.3% |
| Tagalog | 3.1% |
| Portuguese | 2.4% |
| Filipino | 2.4% |
| Other | 17.3% |
