How To Become A Sterile Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a sterile technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH,

Carol Donohue

Sterile processing technicians prepare, sterilize, install, assemble, or clean all laboratory or healthcare equipment required for surgeries, examinations, and medical procedures. They have to ensure that the equipment, instruments, and supplies are reused safely to prevent infections.

To become a sterile technician, applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent and certification in sterile processing and distribution. They also should possess strong attention to detail, vigilance, and meticulous care on the job. It would be best if they had manual agility and the ability to handle fragile equipment.

As of the present context, the average annual pay for a sterile processing technician in the United States is $48,224 a year or $23.18 an hour, which is the equivalent of $927/week or $4,019/month.

What general advice would you give to a sterile technician?

Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH

Dental Assisting Faculty, Articulation Officer, Website

In California, it is an exciting time to be a Dental Assistant. The industry has been gradually adding more technologically advanced procedures like 3-D printing, intra-oral scanning, along with Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistance. A Dental Assistant needs to possess the traditional knowledge to be able to learn these new advanced procedures. In order to make themselves more competitive, the Dental Assistant must possess the knowledge and hands-on experience of these new procedures.
Also, since in California the minimum wage is increasing beyond the amount that a starting Dental Assistant could potentially earn, learning new advanced techniques is more relevant.

ScoreSterile TechnicianUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,347

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.7

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.47%

Asian 9.33%

Black or African American 9.17%

Hispanic or Latino 19.54%

Unknown 4.73%

White 55.75%

Gender

female 67.13%

male 32.87%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

8.7

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.0

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a sterile technician

Explore sterile technician education requirements

Most common sterile technician degrees

High School Diploma

27.3 %

Bachelor's

27.2 %

Associate

22.2 %

Start to develop specific sterile technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	14.99%
Aseptic Technique	10.61%
Patient Care	9.90%
Surgical Instruments	9.57%
Customer Service	8.00%

Complete relevant sterile technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sterile technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a sterile technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sterile technician resumes.

Gain additional sterile technician certifications

Sterile technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific sterile technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for sterile technicians include Dental Assistant (RDA) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research sterile technician duties and responsibilities

Fill or prepare documentation assuring compliance with FDA, GMPIS, JIBIS, OSHA and other internal or external regulation.
Operate steam autoclaves for sterilizing instruments according to OSHA guidelines.
Provide great customer service to patients by delivering equipment need per nurse/physician request.
Experience in gas plasma, eto, steam sterilization.

Prepare your sterile technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sterile technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a sterile technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable sterile technician resume templates

Build a professional sterile technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your sterile technician resume.