Sterile Processing Technician Training & Certification

Becoming a sterile processing technician might be a viable career path for those who desire a medical job but are more comfortable with tools than working directly with patients. These healthcare professionals prepare and maintain medical tools so that equipment, hospitals, and medical offices are free of contamination.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2022), job openings for sterile processing technicians, also referred to as medical equipment preparers, should grow 5 percent between 2022 and 2032, which is slightly faster than the average growth expected for all occupations during that time (3 percent). In May 2022, the highest-paying states for medical equipment preparers were California, the District of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, and Massachusetts.

Currently, only a handful of states require certification to become sterile processing technicians. Still, having a certificate from an accredited sterile processing technician training program can allow a candidate to compete for the highest-paying jobs.

Read on below about sterile processing technician schools and how to get started in this career on the rise.

Degree & Certification Programs for Sterile Processing Techs

Penn Foster

Most sterile processing technician schools offer a certificate of completion, although an associate degree is sometimes available. Certificate programs range from as few as 28 hours to as many as 200 hours of training and may include additional hours of clinical experience.

Although licensure is not required in most states, students who want to demonstrate their professional competency can seek certification. Sterile processing certification exams are offered through the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD) or the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA).

Following is a sampling of program options for aspiring sterile processing technicians:

Contra Costa Medical Career College (Certificate)

At Contra Costa Medical Career College in Antioch, California, students can earn a technical certificate in sterile processing. The program includes classroom instruction, 214 hours of training in the CCMCC fully functional simulated lab, and between 200 and 400 hours of experience in an externship environment, to be assigned by the college.

This certificate will provide students with the knowledge of current techniques, trends, and regulations, enabling them to function with nationally based competencies in healthcare sterile supply processing and distribution areas.

After completing this certificate, graduates will be ready to take the certification for distribution technician and healthcare sterile processing exams as well as the exam offered through HSPA (Healthcare Sterile Processing Association). Graduates can take up opportunities at hospitals or surgery centers, outpatient surgery clinics, veterinary hospitals, and dental surgery clinics.

  • Location: Antioch, California
  • Accreditation: Accrediting Council of Continuing Education & Training (ACCET)
  • Expected Time to Completion: One year or less
  • Estimated Tuition: $10,710

Mount Hood Community College (Certificate)

Mount Hood Community College (MHCC) boasts a beautiful campus nestled in the Oregon mountains that is a fantastic place to gain the skills of a sterile processing technician. Unlike some other programs featured, the MHCC program is a broader surgical technician program offering specific training in sterile processing.

This sterile processing technician course provides instruction for those who wish to function in entry-level positions in sterile processing and central service departments of healthcare facilities.

Graduates of this program, which takes two years to complete, will be prepared for various healthcare positions. This program is based on the curriculum provided by the IAHCSMM, which means that graduates are eligible to sit for the CRCST exam upon completion. The course requires students to take 60 hours of direct coursework, 30 hours of labs, and 400 hours of hands-on clinical practice.

  • Location: Gresham, Oregon
  • Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP); Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
  • Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
  • Estimated Tuition: $19,115 total

Fayetteville Technical Community College (Certificate)

Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC), located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, offers a highly competitive program that accepts just 10 students per year and is one of the shortest at 17 credits. The FTCC program follows the standards of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). It prepares graduates to sit for the National Certification Exam from the Certification Board of Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD).

As part of the program, students will delve into topics such as introduction to computers; applied communications; introduction to sterile processing; STP clinical practice; career assessment; and prof success prep. Graduates can take up opportunities at central processing units in hospitals, surgery centers, and dialysis facilities.

Through this program, students will develop the knowledge and skills required for properly disinfecting, preparing, processing, storing, and issuing sterile and non-sterile supplies, instrumentation, and equipment for patient care.

  • Location: Fayetteville, North Carolina
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
  • Expected Time to Completion: One semester
  • Estimated Tuition: In-state ($76 per credit); out-of-state ($268 per credit)

Pima Medical Institute (Certificate)

Pima Medical Institute offers a sterile processing technician certificate program providing students with knowledge of microbiology, surgical instruments, surgical terminology, medical equipment, storage and distribution, and the skills required for decontamination and sterilization.

Graduates receive a certificate and can apply for and take the Certified Registered Central Service Technician examination through the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management. They can take up positions in various environments, such as hospitals, intensive care units, emergency rooms, labor & delivery units, dental/eye care practices, operating rooms, plastic surgery offices, laboratories, and surgery centers.

This 35.5-credit program includes courses such as principles and practices of sterile processing; surgical instruments; microbiology and infection control; sterilization procedures and practice; surgical terminology; decontamination procedures and practice; medical equipment; and storage and distribution. The curriculum also includes an externship.

  • Location: Phoenix, AZ; Denver, CO
  • Accreditation: Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
  • Expected Time to Completion: Nine months
  • Estimated Tuition: $16,353

List of Sterile Processing Technician Schools

Filter by state :
School City State Website GRADS ('21)
Philadelphia Technician Training Philadelphia Pennsylvania https://ptt.edu 87
Contra Costa Medical Career College Antioch California https://www.ccmcc.edu 69
Anoka Technical College Anoka Minnesota https://www.anokatech.edu 52
Fortis College Houston Texas https://www.fortis.edu 52
Pima Medical Institute-Phoenix Phoenix Arizona https://pmi.edu 41
Glendale Career College Glendale California https://www.success.edu 37
College of DuPage Glen Ellyn Illinois https://www.cod.edu 34
Antilles School of Technical Careers San Juan Puerto Rico https://antillespr.edu 29
Fortis College-Orange Park Orange Park Florida https://www.fortis.edu 28
Sinclair Community College Dayton Ohio https://www.sinclair.edu 26
Parkland College Champaign Illinois https://www.parkland.edu 26
Premiere Career College Irwindale California https://www.premierecollege.education 26
Massachusetts Bay Community College Wellesley Hills Massachusetts https://www.massbay.edu 25
Saint Paul College Saint Paul Minnesota https://www.saintpaul.edu 24
Brewster Technical College Tampa Florida https://www.hillsboroughschools.org/brewster 24
Pima Medical Institute-Denver Denver Colorado https://pmi.edu 21
Nashville State Community College Nashville Tennessee https://www.nscc.edu 20
Onondaga Cortland Madison BOCES Liverpool New York https://www.ocmboces.org 19
Atlantic Technical College Coconut Creek Florida https://www.atlantictechnicalcollege.edu 19
Clover Park Technical College Lakewood Washington https://www.cptc.edu 18
Berkeley College-Woodland Park Woodland Park New Jersey https://berkeleycollege.edu 18
Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor Michigan https://www.wccnet.edu 17
Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis Minnesota https://minneapolis.edu 17
Brookline College-Tempe Tempe Arizona https://www.brooklinecollege.edu 17
Medical Career Institute Ocean New Jersey https://www.mcinj.edu 16
Mountainland Technical College Lehi Utah https://mtec.edu 15
Stautzenberger College-Brecksville Brecksville Ohio https://www.sctoday.edu 15
Pinellas Technical College-St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg Florida https://www.pcsb.org/myptc 14
Front Range Community College Westminster Colorado https://www.frontrange.edu 14
Renton Technical College Renton Washington https://www.rtc.edu 13
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro Murfreesboro Tennessee https://tcatmurfreesboro.edu 13
Lansing Community College Lansing Michigan https://www.lcc.edu 13
Lincoln Land Community College Springfield Illinois https://www.llcc.edu 13
Stark State College North Canton Ohio https://www.starkstate.edu 12
American Institute of Medical Sciences & Education Piscataway New Jersey https://aimseducation.edu 12
Fortis College-Richmond Richmond Virginia https://www.fortis.edu 12
Fortis Institute Houston Texas https://www.fortis.edu 10
Delta College University Center Michigan https://www.delta.edu 10
Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire Wisconsin https://www.cvtc.edu 10
Baton Rouge Community College Baton Rouge Louisiana https://www.mybrcc.edu 9
Tarrant County College District Fort Worth Texas https://www.tccd.edu 9
Pima Medical Institute-Albuquerque West Albuquerque New Mexico https://pmi.edu 9
Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque New Mexico https://www.cnm.edu 9
Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee Wisconsin https://www.wctc.edu 8
Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee Wisconsin https://www.matc.edu 8
College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas Nevada https://www.csn.edu 7
William Rainey Harper College Palatine Illinois https://www.harpercollege.edu 6
Stautzenberger College-Maumee Maumee Ohio https://www.sctoday.edu 6
Brookline College-Tucson Tucson Arizona https://www.brooklinecollege.edu 6
Southern University at Shreveport Shreveport Louisiana https://www.susla.edu 6
Davidson-Davie Community College Thomasville North Carolina https://www.davidsondavie.edu 6
Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College Mount Gay West Virginia https://www.southernwv.edu 5
SOWELA Technical Community College Lake Charles Louisiana https://www.sowela.edu 5
Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis Indiana https://www.ivytech.edu 5
Columbia Basin College Pasco Washington https://www.columbiabasin.edu 4
Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville North Carolina https://www.faytechcc.edu 4
Mid-State Technical College Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin https://www.mstc.edu 4
Triton College River Grove Illinois https://www.triton.edu 4
Western Technical College La Crosse Wisconsin https://www.westerntc.edu 4
East Valley Institute of Technology Mesa Arizona https://www.evit.com 3
Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland Ohio https://www.tri-c.edu 2
Blackhawk Technical College Janesville Wisconsin https://www.blackhawk.edu 2
Greenville Technical College Greenville South Carolina https://www.gvltec.edu 2
Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh Pennsylvania https://www.ccac.edu 1
Aims Community College Greeley Colorado https://www.aims.edu 1
Lindsey Hopkins Technical College Miami Florida https://www.lindseyhopkins.edu 1
'20-'21 School Data from IPEDS (Sourced in September, 2023)

Hybrid & Online Programs

As with most healthcare certificate programs, the typical sterile processing program requires students to complete a clinical training component in person. There are, however, hybrid program options for students seeking the convenience and flexibility of online sterile process technician schooling.

Some of the most popular online or hybrid programs include:

Purdue University

Not only is Purdue one of U.S. News and World Report’s “Top 20 Public Schools,” but it also offers one of the few online sterile processing technician programs. This flexible distance education coursework prepares students to take the HSPA examination and become Certified Registered Central Service Technicians (CRCSTs). Although the HSPA exam requires 400 hours of clinical experience, students can complete that component in their home area.

Using the HSPA Central Service Technical Manual, students will study topics such as medical terminology; disinfection; sterile packaging and storage; management of patient care equipment; low-temperature sterilization; high-temperature sterilization; and surgical instrumentation among others.

  • Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
  • Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
  • Expected Time to Completion: Varies
  • Estimated Tuition: In-state ($22,812 per year); out-of-state ($41,614 per year)

Stark State College

Stark State College offers an online full-time certificate and an associate of technical studies in medical instrument sterilization technician. The program trains students in the processing, cleaning, distributing, packaging, storing, and controlling of sterile goods, surgical trays, medical equipment, and instruments. Both programs include the same technical classes.

The certificate requires completing 32 credits, while the associate degree requires 62 to 63 credits. The curriculum includes courses such as medical instrument sterilization; introduction to anatomy and physiology; introduction to surgical terminology; and medical terminology, among others.

The college also offers a 16-credit career enhancement certificate in medical instrument sterilization technician which is ideal for those with one year of working experience in the field.

  • Location: North Canton, Ohio
  • Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
  • Expected Time to Completion: Certificate (12 months); associate degree (24 months)
  • Estimated Tuition: In-state ($194.60 per credit); out-of-state ($323.60 per credit)
School City State Website GRADS ('21)
Martinsburg College Martinsburg West Virginia https://martinsburgcollege.edu 31
Stark State College North Canton Ohio https://www.starkstate.edu 12
Eastern Gateway Community College Steubenville Ohio https://egcc.edu 3
'20-'21 School Data from IPEDS (Sourced in September, 2023)

Core & Elective Courses for Sterile Processing Techs

Many core and elective classes are common across sterile processing technician school programs. Although course titles may differ, the following subjects are likely to be covered in any curriculum:

  • Medical terminology: A requirement for all healthcare students, this course provides the basic language for anyone entering the medical field. Students will learn the Latin and Greek roots to properly identify body parts and various pathologies.
  • Anatomy and physiology: Students who take this course will learn the basic organs and functions of the human body, including common ailments and conditions.
  • Sterilization: Students learn basic duties and procedures for maintaining sterile healthcare tools in this course. Students will learn to appropriately prepare, wrap, and distribute equipment to minimize contagions and maintain healthy hospitals. They will also learn how to operate sterilization machinery and enforce decontamination standards in various clinical settings.
  • Practicum: Many programs include a practicum in the coursework, providing students with mentor technicians who perform supervised clinical rounds. In this course, students work in surgical situations providing support and maintenance of tools for empirical experience in this profession.
  • Specialty courses: Courses such as management (e.g., insurance guidelines, customer management strategies, and program direction goals), ambulatory surgery sterile processing, and GI scope training (e.g., how to process flexible endoscopes and GI track surgical sterilization procedures) are offered to students who want to specialize in one of these fields.

Accreditation of Sterile Processing Technician Programs

There is no major body that accredits sterile processing technician programs, although it is wise to attend a school that houses a surgical technology program approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA). Since there is an overlap of courses and general knowledge, attending an ARC/STSA-approved program can give graduates the best chance for success on the national exams.

In addition to choosing a school affiliated with the ARC/STSA, verifying that a sterile processing technician training program is attached to a regionally accredited university is wise. It’s advisable to find a school accredited by one of the regional bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Also, online students would be wise to ensure that their distance learning courses are accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). A program’s accreditation status can impact graduates’ eligibility to sit for certification exams and therefore is worth investigating before enrollment.

Career Outlook

Sterilization technicians fall under the general umbrella of Medical Equipment Preparers and are expected to be highly needed over the next decade. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) suggests that the field will grow by 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, slightly faster than the average for all occupations (BLS 2022). As with many other healthcare specialties, students in this area of expertise will benefit from the aging Baby Boomer population’s need for additional care. By the year 2032, it is expected that 3,600 new jobs will be created to adapt to this growing need.

In May 2022, nearly 63,890 people were employed as medical equipment preparers. Most of these workers were employed by general medical and surgical hospitals. However, the highest wages are found in positions of professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers, with an average of $44,940 per year. Management of companies and enterprises are also key areas where surgical preparers and sterile processing technicians are employed, and the wages are among the highest in the field—approximately $62,460 per year (BLS May 2022).

Still, the level of pay program graduates can expect as a sterile processing technician depends upon the job’s location and the applicant’s level of experience. Top-paying states include California, the District of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, and Massachusetts, with salaries ranging from $51,080 to $59,490 annually. Professionals with more experience in the healthcare field or as sterilization technicians will be more competitive for these high-paying jobs (BLS May 2022).

Career Facts Medical Equipment Preparers
Related CareersSurgical Technologists, Machine Operators, Histologic Technicians, Endoscopy Technicians
Common Job TitlesMedical Equipment Preparers, Central Sterile Supply Technician, Sterile Preparation Technician, Sterilization Technician
Technology & EquipmentChemical Or Gas Sterilizers, Steam Autoclaves Or Sterilizers, Medical Supply Chain Software, Bar Coder Reader Equipment
Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021)

Licensing & Certification for Sterile Processing Techs

Students who wish to become certified through an organization affiliated with the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) will need to become acquainted with the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution, Inc. (CBSPD). The CBSPD, formerly known as NICHSPDP, develops and administers a competency-based certification exam to ensure that sterile processing technicians meet “international” standards and protocol.

The CBSPD offers four specialty exams for different tracks of sterile processing technician training:

  • Technician
  • GI Scope
  • Ambulatory Surgery Technician, and
  • Management

Eligibility for each of these exams is uniquely dictated by the specialty. For example, the Technician exam requires 12 months of on-site sales and service of surgical equipment, while the Management exam requires 24 months of management in a Surgical Processing Department (SPD).

The other certification body that is recognized by the NCCA is the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA). The requirements for this certification differ from the CBSPD slightly, but both are recognized by many hospitals and surgical centers. The HSPA also provides specialty exams, including

At this time, only New York and New Jersey require certification to be licensed as sterile processing technicians, although certification legislation is pending in Pennsylvania. Most hospitals will require some level of certification for an applicant to be competitive in the workplace.

Farheen Gani
Farheen Gani Writer

Farheen Gani has immense knowledge about medical technology schools, having researched topics such as medical billing and coding, health information management, nursing informatics, and biotechnology degree programs since 2018. She is a freelance writer, marketer, and researcher. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter (@FarheenGani).