Sterile Processing Tech Salary

By Allison Skoglind, allied health world contributing writer
Published: March, 16 2011

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How does experience influence a sterile processing technician’s salary?

According to the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution’s (CBSPD) 2008 Salary Survey, a sterile processing technician’s salary or wage earnings are often dependent on work experience, professional title, national certification, and regional location of employment. To start, wage earnings for SPTs typically rise as they accumulate more years of experience in the field. For instance, entry-level professionals usually receive $14.02/hr. SPTs with between one and five years of experience earn an average of $15.12/hr. Those with between six and ten years of experience earn slightly higher wages of $15.39/hr. Yet the study indicates that SPTs with between eleven and fifteen years working in surgical processing and distribution can expect $18.32/hr. SPTs with the highest hourly wage incomes have between sixteen and twenty years of experience and receive an average of $20.12/hr.

How can national certification influence a sterile processing technician’s salary?

The CBSPD’s 2008 Salary Survey has also reported that SPTs can hold a variety of different professional titles that may influence their average wage or hourly salary. For example, here

are the average wages for uncertified professionals with different titles working in the field of surgical processing and distribution: educator ($14.17/hr.), surgical instrument technician ($14.34/hr.), sterile processing technician ($14.37/hr.), flexible scope technician ($18.46/hr.), supervisor ($18.48/hr.), and manager ($21.10/hr.). Approximately 50% of all professionals working under these titles experienced pay raises or bonuses upon becoming nationally certified. The average wage earnings for those holding sterile processing technician certification are as follows: flexible scope technician ($11.94/hr.), surgical instrument technician ($14.31/hr.), sterile processing technician ($14.65/hr.), supervisor ($18.93/hr.), educator ($21.34/hr.) and manager (30.17/hr.).

How does location influence a sterile processing technician’s salary?

Finally, the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution’s 2008 Salary Survey found that salary and wage expectations could differ depending on the regional location within the US that a sterile processing technician is employed in. Salaries and wages frequently vary according to region because of the fact that local economic conditions, population densities, and public and private demands for medical and health care services differ between geographic locations.

These are the recent hourly wage findings for SPTs and other surgical processing and distribution professionals across various regions throughout the nation: Southeast ($15.09/hr.), Mid- West ($16.49/hr.), South Central ($17.32/hr.), Mid-Atlantic (17.62), Northeast ($17.77/hr.), Mountain ($18.44), West Coast ($19.01/hr.), and North Central ($19.92/hr.).