What does a Sterile Processing Technician do?
A sterile processing technician is responsible for performing the sterilization process and decontamination for all laboratory equipment and medical equipment to avoid the spread of infections, especially on medical procedures and critical laboratory tests. Sterile processing technicians follow a strict process of sterilizing equipment, including replacing defective tools, and proper waste procedures of disposable items. They must also adhere to the safety and sanitary standards on duty. They monitor inventories, deliver sterilized equipment to appropriate medical personnel, and organize equipment for medical procedures.
Sterile processing technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real sterile processing technician resumes:
- Connect the patients to monitors such as EKG leads and pulse ox monitor.
- Train Honduras hospital personnel on AAMI and IAHCSMM standards.
- Position or transport patients to and from the Endo suite.
- Experience with portable procedures in ER, IR and ICU.
- Assist doctor's with ERCP procedures RX system (short wire).
- Blood draw's, EKG'S, splinting and assisting doctor with sutures.
- Learned about the ERCP procedure.
- Deliver stat orders for the nurses.
- Attend SGNA conventions to gain more knowledge.
- Utilize Lawson system for inventory and tracking purposes.
- Determine the daily duties and responsibilities of SPD team.
- Assist in CPR training certification classes for new hires.
- Prepare and assist with all endoscopy and bronchoscopy procedures.
- Assist in the several staff obtaining IAHCSMM, CRCST certification.
- Decontaminate, process, and sterilize endo, and bronchoscopes.
Sterile processing technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 18% of Sterile Processing Technicians are proficient in Patients, Sterilizers, and IAHCSMM. They’re also known for soft skills such as Mechanical skills, Organizational skills, and Physical strength.
We break down the percentage of Sterile Processing Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 18%
Performed decontamination, assembly and sterilization methods of the facility medical tools and instruments to be safely reused on patients.
- Sterilizers, 10%
Operated, maintained sterile surgical equipment though operation of steam sterilizers, Hydrogen Peroxide sterilizers, Ethylene Oxide gas sterilization systems.
- IAHCSMM, 8%
Accumulated over 400 hours needed to take and passed the IAHCSMM Exam and became a Certified Registered Central Sterile Processor.
- Customer Service, 6%
Maintained standards of work performance and methods of operation for department.customer service computerized record keeping.
- Medical Terminology, 4%
Utilized knowledge of medical terminology and anatomy, as well as commonly performed surgical procedures, and the instrumentation utilized.
- Cleanliness, 4%
Prepared equipment by ensuring its cleanliness and correct temperatures were reached and maintained to prevent contamination.
Most sterile processing technicians use their skills in "patients," "sterilizers," and "iahcsmm" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential sterile processing technician responsibilities here:
Mechanical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a sterile processing technician to have is mechanical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must be familiar with engine components and systems and know how they interact with each other." Sterile processing technicians often use mechanical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "monitor and document all chemical, mechanical and biological indicators to ensure sterility. "
Organizational skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling sterile processing technician duties is organizational skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must maintain accurate service records and parts inventories." According to a sterile processing technician resume, here's how sterile processing technicians can utilize organizational skills in their job responsibilities: "sorted medical instruments for organizational purposes. "
Physical strength. sterile processing technicians are also known for physical strength, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to sterile processing technician responsibilities, because "heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must be able to lift and move heavy equipment, tools, and parts without risking injury." A sterile processing technician resume example shows how physical strength is used in the workplace: "sterilize and stock dental equipment for the unc dental school manual labor job so it has strengthened my work ethic"
Troubleshooting skills. For certain sterile processing technician responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "troubleshooting skills." The day-to-day duties of a sterile processing technician rely on this skill, as "heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must be familiar with diagnostic equipment to find the source of malfunctions." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what sterile processing technicians do: "handled troubleshooting over the phone for sterilization products worked on steris steam sterilizers - low temperature sterilizers - endoscope processers. "
Dexterity. A commonly-found skill in sterile processing technician job descriptions, "dexterity" is essential to what sterile processing technicians do. Sterile processing technician responsibilities rely on this skill because "heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must perform many tasks, such as disassembling engine parts, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, with a steady hand and good hand-eye coordination." You can also see how sterile processing technician duties rely on dexterity in this resume example: "help lift and position patients for surgery. "
The three companies that hire the most sterile processing technicians are:
- WWakeMed93 sterile processing technicians jobs
- TTenet Healthcare72 sterile processing technicians jobs
- DDuke University Health System71 sterile processing technicians jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable sterile processing technician resume templates
Build a professional sterile processing technician resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your sterile processing technician resume.
Compare different sterile processing technicians
Sterile processing technician vs. Oxygen equipment aide
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between sterile processing technicians and oxygen equipment aide. For instance, sterile processing technician responsibilities require skills such as "patients," "iahcsmm," "medical terminology," and "cleanliness." Whereas a oxygen equipment aide is skilled in "medical gases," "dirty equipment," "infection control procedures," and "iv poles." This is part of what separates the two careers.
The education levels that oxygen equipment aides earn slightly differ from sterile processing technicians. In particular, oxygen equipment aides are 1.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a sterile processing technician. Additionally, they're 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Sterile processing technician vs. Oxygen equipment preparer
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, sterile processing technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patients," "iahcsmm," "customer service," and "medical terminology." Meanwhile, an oxygen equipment preparer has duties that require skills in areas such as "patient care," "hospital locations," "kitchen prep," and "laboratory equipment." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Oxygen equipment preparers earn higher levels of education than sterile processing technicians in general. They're 8.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Sterile processing technician vs. Can sterilizer
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a sterile processing technician is likely to be skilled in "patients," "sterilizers," "iahcsmm," and "customer service," while a typical can sterilizer is skilled in "dental assistants," "clean rooms," "examination rooms," and "patient problems."
Can sterilizers typically earn similar educational levels compared to sterile processing technicians. Specifically, they're 2.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 4.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Sterile processing technician vs. Sterilization specialist
Even though a few skill sets overlap between sterile processing technicians and sterilization specialists, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a sterile processing technician might have more use for skills like "patients," "iahcsmm," "customer service," and "medical terminology." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of sterilization specialists require skills like "iso," "fda," "environmental monitoring," and "gmp. "
Sterilization specialists reach higher levels of education compared to sterile processing technicians, in general. The difference is that they're 7.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 4.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of sterile processing technician
Updated January 8, 2025
