How much does a sterile processing technician make?

The average sterile processing technician salary in the United States is $38,299. Sterile processing technician salaries typically range between $29,000 and $50,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for sterile processing technicians is $18.41 per hour. Sterile processing technician salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Sterile processing technicians earn the highest average salary in California.

Sterile processing technician salary

Q: What state pays Sterile Processing Technicians the most?

California pays Sterile Processing Technicians the most in the United States, with an average salary of $57,180 per year, or $27.49 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a sterile processing technician?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a sterile processing technician if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Massachusetts you should be paid close to $55,060 per year.

Q: How much do sterile processors make a year?

Sterile processors make an average of $48,224 a year ($23 an hour). The range in how much a sterile processor can earn starts from as little as $28,000 a year to as much as $70,000 a year. Factors such as location and type of sterile processor positions can impact how much a sterile processor can earn.

Q: How much money does a sterilization technician make?

A sterilization technician makes $48,224 a year. However, there is a considerable range in how much a sterile processor can earn, starting from as little as $28,000 a year to as much as $70,000 a year. Factors such as location and position type impact how much a sterilization technician can make.

Q: Where do sterile processing techs make the most?

Sterile processing techs make the most money working for B.E. Smith. The national average pay rate for a sterile processing tech is around $27.42 an hour, but at B.E. Smith, a sterile processing tech earns around $60 an hour.

Average sterile processing technician salary

$38,299

$18.41 hourly rate

Entry-level sterile processing technician salary

$29,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding the Salary of Sterile Processing Technicians

The average salary of a Sterile Processing Technician is $38,299 annually or about $18 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on several factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the type of healthcare facility. For instance, states such as California, New York, and Texas often offer higher salaries due to the demand for skilled technicians in urban areas.

In addition to salary, technicians can find opportunities for advancement by pursuing certifications or specialized training. Positions in larger hospitals or surgical centers may also come with benefits like overtime pay and bonuses. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for those entering the field or considering a career change.

Salary Insights by State

For a comprehensive view, consider salary insights by state to identify where opportunities are most lucrative. This information can guide your career path, helping you make informed decisions that align with your goals.

On this page

Sterile processing technician salary by:

Let Zippi find your next sterile processing technician job

Let Zippi find your next sterile processing technician job

Where can a Sterile Processing Technician earn more?

Compare salary by location

85k

65k

45k

25k

Columbus, OH$57,110

Kansas City, KS$34,764

Compare salary by company

86k

66k

46k

26k

Blessing Hospital Emergency Room$63,852

CentraState Healthcare System$55,909

Sterile processing technician salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor and Ziprecruiter, the average salary for a sterile processing technician typically falls between $38,299 and $57,180.

zippia

$38,299yearly

glassdoor[1]

$46,495yearly

indeed[2]

$40,744yearly

Salary.com[3]

$39,039yearly

ZipRecruiter[4]

$57,180yearly

Average sterile processing technician salary by state

The highest-paying states for sterile processing technicians are California, Massachusetts, and Nevada. The lowest average sterile processing technician salary states are Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for sterile processing technicians

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Massachusetts	$55,060	$26.47
2	Connecticut	$45,048	$21.66
3	Maine	$41,384	$19.90
4	Florida	$42,216	$20.30
5	New Hampshire	$44,084	$21.19
6	Nevada	$46,161	$22.19
7	Utah	$41,630	$20.01
8	Washington	$41,436	$19.92
9	California	$57,180	$27.49
10	Michigan	$42,018	$20.20
11	Vermont	$42,347	$20.36
12	Alaska	$39,960	$19.21
13	Indiana	$39,459	$18.97
14	Ohio	$41,315	$19.86
15	Oklahoma	$41,265	$19.84
16	Georgia	$40,655	$19.55
17	Rhode Island	$38,054	$18.30
18	Arizona	$37,756	$18.15
19	West Virginia	$36,145	$17.38
20	Tennessee	$36,613	$17.60
21	Idaho	$40,949	$19.69
22	Oregon	$40,663	$19.55
23	Colorado	$37,529	$18.04
24	Hawaii	$43,509	$20.92
25	North Dakota	$38,868	$18.69
26	New York	$38,610	$18.56
27	Illinois	$36,833	$17.71
28	New Jersey	$36,686	$17.64
29	Montana	$37,438	$18.00
30	Wyoming	$37,357	$17.96
31	South Carolina	$34,504	$16.59
32	Wisconsin	$33,707	$16.21
33	Kentucky	$35,461	$17.05
34	Pennsylvania	$34,059	$16.37
35	Kansas	$34,849	$16.75
36	Delaware	$34,562	$16.62
37	Alabama	$31,528	$15.16
38	Texas	$33,490	$16.10
39	Arkansas	$31,377	$15.09
40	Minnesota	$34,709	$16.69
41	Missouri	$32,617	$15.68
42	Nebraska	$33,208	$15.97
43	Louisiana	$29,946	$14.40
44	New Mexico	$34,439	$16.56
45	Mississippi	$33,114	$15.92
46	North Carolina	$31,107	$14.96
47	Maryland	$31,243	$15.02
48	Virginia	$30,848	$14.83
49	District of Columbia	$32,769	$15.75
50	Iowa	$28,517	$13.71
51	South Dakota	$29,732	$14.29

Top sterile processing technician jobs near you

Highest paying cities for sterile processing technicians

The highest-paying cities for sterile processing technicians are Los Angeles, CA, Springfield, MA, and Manchester, CT.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Los Angeles, CA	$57,110	$27.46
2	Springfield, MA	$54,970	$26.43
3	Manchester, CT	$45,274	$21.77
4	Manchester, NH	$44,149	$21.23
5	Miami, FL	$42,799	$20.58
6	Cleveland, OH	$42,084	$20.23
7	Vancouver, WA	$42,073	$20.23
8	Burlington, VT	$42,034	$20.21
9	Portland, ME	$41,782	$20.09
10	Grand Rapids, MI	$41,758	$20.08
11	Springfield, OR	$41,022	$19.72
12	Atlanta, GA	$40,593	$19.52
13	Indianapolis, IN	$39,351	$18.92
14	Fargo, ND	$38,783	$18.65
15	New York, NY	$38,730	$18.62
16	Phoenix, AZ	$37,923	$18.23
17	Boulder, CO	$37,585	$18.07
18	Chicago, IL	$36,940	$17.76
19	Lebanon, TN	$36,652	$17.62
20	Kansas City, KS	$34,764	$16.71

Sterile Processing Technicians are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Sterile processing technician salary details

A sterile processing technician's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $50,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average sterile processing technician salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a sterile processing technician's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$50,000	$4,167	$24
75th Percentile	$44,000	$3,667	$21
Average	$38,299	$3,192	$18
25th Percentile	$33,000	$2,750	$16
10th Percentile	$29,000	$2,417	$14

Highest paying sterile processing technician jobs

The highest paying types of sterile processing technicians are can sterilizer, sterilization specialist, and oxygen equipment preparer.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Medical Supply Technician	$38,049	$3,171	$18.29	79,321
Technician	$38,045	$3,170	$18.29	596,842
Delivery Technician	$38,006	$3,167	$18.27	33,738
Central Sterilization Technician	$38,089	$3,174	$18.31	13,053
Sterile Technician	$35,347	$2,946	$16.99	30,250
Central Processing Technician	$35,088	$2,924	$16.87	38,033

Top companies hiring sterile processing technicians now:

Which companies pay sterile processing technicians the most?

Sterile processing technician salaries at Blessing Hospital Emergency Room and TAJ Technologies are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average sterile processing technician salary at companies like Roper St. Francis Healthcare and Montage Health are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Blessing Hospital Emergency Room	$63,852	$30.70
2	TAJ Technologies	$63,245	$30.41
3	Roper St. Francis Healthcare	$62,343	$29.97
4	Montage Health	$61,271	$29.46
5	Southern California Hospitals	$60,760	$29.21
6	American Mobile Healthcare	$60,190	$28.94
7	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	$60,003	$28.85
8	MLK Community Healthcare	$59,498	$28.60
9	MedPro Healthcare Staffing	$59,476	$28.59
10	Valley Presbyterian Hospital	$59,455	$28.58
11	Marin General Hospital: Foley Pamela MD	$59,302	$28.51
12	Methodist Hospital for Surgery	$58,943	$28.34
13	Estes Park Health	$58,933	$28.33
14	PPGH	$58,829	$28.28
15	Aya Healthcare	$58,670	$28.21
16	Shriners Hospitals for Children	$57,671	$27.73
17	Vail Health	$56,406	$27.12
18	Valley View Hospital	$56,357	$27.09
19	Cook Children's Medical Center	$56,297	$27.07
20	CentraState Healthcare System	$55,909	$26.88

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$42,000$41,400$40,800$40,200$39,600$39,000

MaleFemale

Sterile processing technician salary trends

The average sterile processing technician salary has risen by $8,637 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average sterile processing technician earned $29,662 annually, but today, they earn $38,299 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for sterile processing technicians over the last decade.

Compare sterile processing technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average sterile processing technician salary over time

Compare sterile processing technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Sterile processing technician salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$38,300	$18.41	+3.5%
2024	$37,000	$17.77	+3.2%
2023	$35,800	$17.20	+2.4%
2022	$34,900	$16.79	+2.7%
2021	$34,000	$16.32	+3.1%

Recently added sterile processing technician salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Sanford Health	Associate Sterile Processing Technician	Detroit Lakes, MN	06/30/2025	$35,479
Sutterhealth	Sterile Processing Technician II	San Francisco, CA	06/30/2025	$75,654
ATC Healthcare	Sterile Processing Technician	White Plains, NY	06/29/2025	$47,548
ATC Healthcare	Sterile Processing Technician	Hagerstown, MD	06/29/2025	$60,523
Nuvance Health	Sterile Processing Equipment Technician 1 PRN	Danbury, CT	06/29/2025	$38,380
Memorialcare	Sterile Processing Tech I	Laguna Hills, CA	06/29/2025	$44,871
Searhc	Sterile Processing Technician	Sitka, AK	06/29/2025	$52,175
Vail Health	Sterile Processing Tech	Vail, CO	06/29/2025	$48,836
University of Virginia	Sterile Processing Technician (SPT)	Charlottesville, VA	06/29/2025	$34,039
Overlake Ob Gyn, Pc	Certified Sterile Processing Technician/Nights)	Bellevue, WA	06/29/2025	$53,052