Sterilizer operator vs sterile preparation technician

The differences between sterilizer operators and sterile preparation technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a sterilizer operator and a sterile preparation technician. Additionally, a sterile preparation technician has an average salary of $43,124, which is higher than the $39,198 average annual salary of a sterilizer operator.

The top three skills for a sterilizer operator include sops, sterilizers and GMP. The most important skills for a sterile preparation technician are chemotherapy, , and .

Sterilizer operator vs sterile preparation technician overview

	Sterilizer Operator	Sterile Preparation Technician
Yearly salary	$39,198	$43,124
Hourly rate	$18.85	$20.73
Growth rate	7%	-
Number of jobs	30,721	11,057
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Sterilizer operator vs sterile preparation technician salary

Sterilizer operators and sterile preparation technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sterilizer Operator	Sterile Preparation Technician
Average salary	$39,198	$43,124
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $49,000	Between $25,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between sterilizer operator and sterile preparation technician education

There are a few differences between a sterilizer operator and a sterile preparation technician in terms of educational background:

	Sterilizer Operator	Sterile Preparation Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Pharmacy
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	Howard University

Sterilizer operator vs sterile preparation technician demographics

Here are the differences between sterilizer operators' and sterile preparation technicians' demographics:

	Sterilizer Operator	Sterile Preparation Technician
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 71.3% Female, 28.7%	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 9.1% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 17.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 7.9% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between sterilizer operator and sterile preparation technician duties and responsibilities

Sterilizer operator example responsibilities.

Coordinate logistics for chemical supply, supervise personnel and manage shift changes.
Sterilize and move medical supplies in accordance with GMP, FDA and EPA requirements.
Follow GMP's to comply with FDA, EPA, DEA, and other regulators requirements.
Load and unload freeze dryers.
Assist in repairs and CIP of equipment.
Operate sterilizers ensuring that all controls and printouts are working properly.

Sterile preparation technician example responsibilities.

Sterilize instruments, assist doctors in operations, interact with parents and patients on a regular basis
Handle multiple centrifuges to spin down, and then as well pour off and separate specimens to their correct department.

Sterilizer operator vs sterile preparation technician skills

Common sterilizer operator skills

Sops, 12%
Sterilizers, 10%
GMP, 9%
CIP, 7%
APA, 7%
Data Entry, 7%

Common sterile preparation technician skills

Chemotherapy, 100%

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Sterilizer Operator
Sterilizer Operator vs Sterile Preparation Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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