Healthcare Support
Medical Equipment Preparers
Also called: Central Sterile Technician (Central Sterile Tech), Central Supply Processing Department Technician (CSPDT), Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST), CRCST (Certified Registered Central Supply Technician)
US median pay
$47,700
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+10.8%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
10,700
79,900 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. May perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment.
What they do day to day
- Examine equipment to detect leaks, worn or loose parts, or other indications of disrepair.
- Check sterile supplies to ensure that they are not outdated.
- Record sterilizer test results.
- Organize and assemble routine or specialty surgical instrument trays or other sterilized supplies, filling special requests as needed.
- Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed.
- Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization.
- Disinfect and sterilize equipment, such as respirators, hospital beds, or oxygen or dialysis equipment, using sterilizers, aerators, or washers.
- Purge wastes from equipment by connecting equipment to water sources and flushing water through systems.
- Maintain records of inventory or equipment usage and order medical instruments or supplies when inventory is low.
- Attend hospital in-service programs related to areas of work specialization.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Quality Control Analysis3.4/5
- Operations Monitoring3.2/5
- Troubleshooting3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Operation and Control2.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.8/5
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service4.5/5
- English Language3.9/5
- Biology3.4/5
- Production and Processing3.2/5
- Public Safety and Security3.1/5
- Administrative3.0/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma44%
- Post-secondary certificate31%
- Bachelor's degree15%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.