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The differences between surfacing technicians and sterile processing technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a surfacing technician, becoming a sterile processing technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a sterile processing technician has an average salary of $38,299, which is higher than the $37,226 average annual salary of a surfacing technician.
The top three skills for a surfacing technician include circuit board assembly, SMT and safety regulations. The most important skills for a sterile processing technician are patients, sterilizers, and IAHCSMM.
| Surfacing Technician | Sterile Processing Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,226 | $38,299 |
| Hourly rate | $17.90 | $18.41 |
| Growth rate | - | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 39,793 | 21,592 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Associate Degree, 30% |
| Average age | 50 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
Surfacing technicians and sterile processing technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surfacing Technician | Sterile Processing Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,226 | $38,299 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $48,000 | Between $29,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Blessing Hospital Emergency Room |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a surfacing technician and a sterile processing technician in terms of educational background:
| Surfacing Technician | Sterile Processing Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Associate Degree, 30% |
| Most common major | Business | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between surfacing technicians' and sterile processing technicians' demographics:
| Surfacing Technician | Sterile Processing Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9% | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 8% | 9% |