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Sterile Processing Technician Salary: How Much Can You Make?
Discover the average salary for a sterile processing technician, and find out what you need to do to qualify best for an entry-level job.
Estimating earning potential for jobs in sterile processing
The field of sterile processing offers an excellent quick path into working in healthcare, while providing great practical experience in a crucial department in every hospital. You’ll gain valuable experience you can use to advance within a Sterile Processing/Central Sterile Services Department (SPT/CSSD) or transition into new career opportunities.
Discover how much medical equipment preparers make on average across the United States and get a better idea of what you can expect for pay as a sterile processing tech.
Average salary figures, categorized by U.S. state
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical equipment preparers earn an average annual salary of $48,990 per year ($23.56 per hour) nationwide.*
The top 10% in this category can potentially earn a median salary above $59,000 per year ($28.54 per hour). How much SPTs can make can vary depending on the state in which you work:
| Average salary | Median salary | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Per hour | Per year | Per hour | Per year |
| Alabama | $15.91 | $33,090 | $15.22 | $31,650 |
| Alaska | $25.42 | $52,870 | $23.27 | $48,410 |
| Arizona | $20.51 | $42,660 | $19.66 | $40,890 |
| Arkansas | $16.53 | $34,380 | $16.98 | $35,310 |
| California | $28.60 | $59,490 | $28.94 | $60,200 |
| Colorado | $22.21 | $46,210 | $20.16 | $41,940 |
| Connecticut | $22.04 | $45,850 | $19.79 | $41,170 |
| Delaware | $23.38 | $48,620 | $22.38 | $46,540 |
| District of Columbia | $28.25 | $58,760 | $24.78 | $51,530 |
| Florida | $18.39 | $38,250 | $17.69 | $36,790 |
| Georgia | $19.66 | $40,900 | $18.57 | $38,630 |
| Hawaii | $25.06 | $52,130 | $24.29 | $50,520 |
| Idaho | $19.81 | $41,200 | $17.80 | $37,030 |
| Illinois | $20.85 | $43,380 | $19.22 | $39,970 |
| Indiana | $20.15 | $41,920 | $19.12 | $39,770 |
| Iowa | $18.62 | $38,720 | $17.33 | $36,040 |
| Kansas | $18.95 | $39,420 | $17.27 | $35,930 |
| Kentucky | $18.98 | $39,480 | $18.34 | $38,140 |
| Louisiana | $17.43 | $36,240 | $16.55 | $34,430 |
| Maine | $20.00 | $41,600 | $19.04 | $39,610 |
| Maryland | $21.78 | $45,290 | $19.68 | $40,940 |
| Massachusetts | $24.56 | $51,080 | $23.96 | $49,840 |
| Michigan | $19.67 | $40,920 | $18.95 | $39,420 |
| Minnesota | $21.49 | $44,700 | $22.03 | $45,820 |
| Mississippi | $16.03 | $33,340 | $14.58 | $30,320 |
| Missouri | $18.69 | $38,880 | $18.03 | $37,490 |
| Montana | $19.44 | $40,440 | $19.55 | $40,660 |
| Nebraska | $18.17 | $37,800 | $17.26 | $35,900 |
| Nevada | $22.47 | $46,730 | $22.33 | $46,450 |
| New Hampshire | $21.23 | $44,160 | $20.41 | $42,460 |
| New Jersey | $22.27 | $46,320 | $22.45 | $46,690 |
| New Mexico | $19.61 | $40,790 | $19.44 | $40,440 |
| New York | $23.68 | $49,250 | $23.59 | $49,070 |
| North Carolina | $18.99 | $39,500 | $18.38 | $38,230 |
| North Dakota | $20.94 | $43,550 | $18.09 | $37,630 |
| Ohio | $19.83 | $41,240 | $18.85 | $39,210 |
| Oklahoma | $18.07 | $37,580 | $18.10 | $37,650 |
| Oregon | $23.21 | $48,270 | $22.92 | $47,670 |
| Pennsylvania | $20.34 | $42,310 | $19.15 | $39,820 |
| Rhode Island | $21.95 | $45,660 | $22.02 | $45,800 |
| South Carolina | $18.33 | $38,120 | $17.74 | $36,890 |
| South Dakota | $17.91 | $37,260 | $17.22 | $35,810 |
| Tennessee | $18.31 | $38,070 | $17.73 | $36,880 |
| Texas | $19.93 | $41,460 | $18.67 | $38,830 |
| Utah | $20.40 | $42,420 | $19.47 | $40,500 |
| Vermont | $20.07 | $41,750 | $18.50 | $38,470 |
| Virginia | $19.81 | $41,210 | $18.95 | $39,410 |
| Washington | $22.28 | $46,350 | $21.50 | $44,730 |
| West Virginia | $17.85 | $37,120 | $17.49 | $36,390 |
| Wisconsin | $20.24 | $42,110 | $19.50 | $40,550 |
| Wyoming | $20.57 | $42,790 | $20.16 | $41,930 |
| Guam | $20.92 | $43,520 | $20.67 | $42,990 |
| Puerto Rico | $11.56 | $24,050 | $11.19 | $23,280 |
Begin a new career path with Herzing.
Now is an excellent time to go back to school and earn the skills you need to find a good job in a sterile processing department and begin your new healthcare career.
Our online diploma program is designed to help you get started—and advance to all sorts of different possibilities in the healthcare field. It IS possible!
Learn more about our sterile processing diploma program
* BLS pay estimates calculate the median annual wage for various occupations. Per the BLS the median wage for an occupation is: "The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount, and half earned less. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey." Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2024. BLS median wage estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geographic market in which you want to work, and degree level and field, will affect career outcomes, including starting salary and earnings as an experienced employee. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the median salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, particular wage or salary, or other career growth.