Sterile Processing Technician vs Surgical Technologist: Training, Certification and Pay

The two jobs side by side

For comparison, O*NET lists a 2025 median of $42,260 for nursing assistants. The CNA guide covers that route.

What sterile processing technicians do

HSPA says sterile processing technicians are responsible for decontaminating, inspecting, assembling, disassembling, packaging and sterilizing reusable surgical instruments or devices in a healthcare facility. BLS wage data counts these workers as medical equipment preparers, and O*NET lists job titles such as central sterile technician, sterile processing and distribution (SPD) technician and certified registered central service technician (CRCST).

How to get into sterile processing

This guide covers two certifications, HSPA’s CRCST and CBSPD’s CSPDT. Each body calls its certification the introductory one for sterile processing staff. HSPA, formerly IAHCSMM, has certified sterile processing technicians since 1971.

HSPA’s CRCST. The CRCST is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). To earn it, you pass the exam and complete 400 hours of hands-on experience in a sterile processing department, paid or volunteer. You can log the hours in the five years before you apply, or take the exam first as a provisional candidate and submit the hours within six months of passing. HSPA divides the hours as follows:

HSPA does not place candidates, so finding a department for the hours is up to you, and a supervisor must document them. HSPA says courses from other providers or schools are not required for certification, and it warns about offers that claim a course is required. The exam is computer-based, with 150 multiple-choice questions and three hours to finish, taken at Prometric testing centers year-round. HSPA asks you to allow three to four weeks for an application to be processed and says membership isn’t required. To keep the CRCST, you need 12 continuing education credits a year.

HSPA says its exam was built using its own Sterile Processing Technical Manual (9th edition, 2023) along with two industry standards and guidelines publications, and that the manual can be ordered through HSPA. HSPA’s certification council doesn’t require any specific study materials.

• Book: Search Amazon for HSPA Sterile Processing Technical Manual, 9th Edition

CBSPD’s CSPDT. CBSPD’s technician certification is accredited by the NCCA. You need to meet one of these requirements before the exam deadline:

• 12 months of full-time work, or the part-time equivalent, doing sterile processing tasks
• 6 months each of full-time allied health work and sterile processing work, or the part-time equivalent
• a sterile processing technician training course, passed with a grade of 70 or higher
• 12 months of healthcare product sales or service related to sterile processing

CBSPD offers its exams during one-week testing windows, and the application must be printed and mailed.

State rules. HSPA says Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee are the only states that require sterile processing technicians to be certified. In other states, check what local hospitals ask for in their job postings.

How to become a surgical technologist

BLS says surgical technologists typically need a certificate or associate’s degree from an accredited program. Community colleges and vocational schools offer these programs, as do some universities and hospitals. Many jobs also require CPR or basic life support certification, or both.

NBSTSA’s CST. To sit for the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam, NBSTSA says you must graduate from a surgical technology program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). It also has a route for graduates of military programs. The exam is computer-based:

The NBSTSA certification program is accredited by the NCCA. NBSTSA says the CST is preferred or required by most employers and required by many states. BLS says employers may require or prefer certification.

State rules. BLS says some states regulate surgical technologists. In Washington, for example, state law says no one may present themselves as a surgical technologist without registering with the Department of Health. Check your own state before you enroll.

Surgical technologists can also move up. BLS says some become surgical first assistants through more on-the-job training, and others go on to occupations such as registered nursing with more education.

The work itself

BLS says surgical technologists prepare operating rooms, sterilize equipment and check supplies, ready patients for surgery, and pass instruments and sterile supplies to surgeons. They also count instruments so that nothing is left inside a patient. About 71 percent work in hospitals.

The job is physically demanding. BLS says surgical technologists have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations, may need to lift heavy trays and move patients, and spend long periods on their feet. Hospital staff may work or be on call during nights, weekends and holidays, sometimes in shifts longer than 8 hours. Our shift-pattern guide shows how to weigh schedules like these.

The outlook in numbers

BLS projects about 8,600 openings a year for surgical assistants and technologists combined. It expects an aging population and more surgeries among all age groups to increase demand. O*NET’s figures come from BLS 2025 wage data and 2025 to 2035 projections.

Pay by state

BLS state data for May 2025 shows the five states with the most workers in each job, then the highest and lowest medians among the states and the District of Columbia.

Surgical technologists

Medical equipment preparers (sterile processing)

Hawaii’s surgical technologist estimate covers only about 290 jobs. A state median includes experienced workers, so a first offer may be lower. Our guide to salary by state for healthcare roles shows how to weigh these figures against local costs.

A practical order of steps

1. Decide where you want to work: in the sterile processing department or in the operating room.
2. Check your state’s rules. For sterile processing, see whether your state requires certification. For surgical technology, see whether it requires registration or certification.
3. For sterile processing, look for a department where you can log the 400 hours HSPA asks for, or a course that CBSPD accepts.
4. For surgical technology, confirm that a program is CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited before you enroll, so you are eligible for the CST.
5. Get CPR or basic life support certification if the jobs near you ask for it.

If you are still weighing other short healthcare routes, the healthcare certificate jobs guide compares them.

FAQ

How long does it take to become a sterile processing technician?

HSPA’s CRCST certification requires passing the exam plus 400 hours of hands-on experience in a sterile processing department, which HSPA describes as a minimum of 10 weeks. You can log the hours before the exam or within six months after passing it. CBSPD’s CSPDT accepts a training course with a passing grade or 12 months of sterile processing work.

Is sterile processing the same as surgical technology?

No. Sterile processing technicians decontaminate, inspect, assemble, package and sterilize reusable instruments in a sterile processing department. Surgical technologists prepare the operating room and pass sterile instruments and supplies to surgeons during operations.

Do sterile processing technicians need to be certified?

HSPA says Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee are the only states that require certification of sterile processing technicians. Elsewhere, employers set their own requirements.

What is on the CST exam?

NBSTSA’s CST exam has 175 multiple-choice questions, 150 of them scored, with 4 hours to finish. Getting 98 scored questions right is a pass. Perioperative care makes up 65 percent of the exam, basic science 20 percent and ancillary duties 15 percent.

Which pays more, sterile processing or surgical technology?

Surgical technology. BLS reports a median annual wage of $64,650 for surgical technologists in May 2025, while ONET lists a 2025 median of $47,700 for medical equipment preparers, the BLS category that covers sterile processing. Both are above the $42,260 ONET lists for nursing assistants.

Sources

• BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Surgical Assistants and Technologists (last modified August 27, 2026)
• BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 state data
• O*NET OnLine: Medical Equipment Preparers (31-9093.00)
• O*NET OnLine: Nursing Assistants (31-1131.00)
• HSPA: Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST)
• HSPA: Become certified
• HSPA: CRCST renewal
• HSPA: Advocacy
• CBSPD: SPD Technician Certification Exam (CSPDT)
• CBSPD home page
• NBSTSA: CST certification
• NBSTSA: CST eligibility
• Washington State Legislature: RCW 18.215.020
• Washington State Legislature: RCW 18.215.010