Medical Equipment Preparers: Career Profile
Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. May perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment.
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What Do Medical Equipment Preparers Take On?
Typical responsibilities of medical equipment preparers span:
- Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed.
- Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization.
- Record sterilizer test results.
- Organize and assemble routine or specialty surgical instrument trays or other sterilized supplies, filling special requests as needed.
- Examine equipment to detect leaks, worn or loose parts, or other indications of disrepair.
- Report defective equipment to appropriate supervisors or staff.
- Maintain records of inventory or equipment usage and order medical instruments or supplies when inventory is low.
- Stock crash carts or other medical supplies.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective medical equipment preparers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Medical Equipment Preparers Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Aseptic Technician (Aseptic Tech)
- Bandage Maker
- Central Processing Technician (CPT)
- Central Service Technician (CST)
- Central Sterile Processing Technician (Central Sterile Processing Tech)
- Central Sterile Supply Technician (CSS Technician)
- Central Sterile Technician (Central Sterile Tech)
- Central Sterilization Technician
Job Outlook
There are about 997,101 medical equipment preparers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +7.8% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Medical Equipment Preparers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $30,227 |
| Hourly median | $14.53 |
| 10th percentile | $21,780 |
| 25th percentile | $26,004 |
| 75th percentile | $34,450 |
| 90th percentile | $38,673 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $62,710 |
| District of Columbia | $54,390 |
| Delaware | $52,080 |
| Rhode Island | $51,980 |
| New York | $51,880 |
| Massachusetts | $51,610 |
| Hawaii | $51,470 |
| Washington | $51,190 |
| New Jersey | $49,090 |
| Oregon | $49,050 |
| Minnesota | $48,580 |
| Alaska | $48,330 |
| Maryland | $47,630 |
| New Hampshire | $47,460 |
| Illinois | $47,100 |
| Colorado | $46,870 |
| Wyoming | $46,700 |
| Georgia | $46,700 |
| Connecticut | $46,660 |
| Vermont | $46,630 |
| Wisconsin | $46,170 |
| Arizona | $46,060 |
| Texas | $46,010 |
| Utah | $45,250 |
| Michigan | $45,230 |
| Maine | $44,840 |
| Virginia | $44,760 |
| Idaho | $44,450 |
| Ohio | $44,150 |
| Florida | $44,070 |
| Tennessee | $44,030 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,920 |
| Kentucky | $42,870 |
| Oklahoma | $42,570 |
| West Virginia | $42,400 |
| Missouri | $42,390 |
| South Carolina | $41,650 |
| Nevada | $41,600 |
| North Carolina | $41,590 |
| Montana | $40,830 |
| New Mexico | $40,720 |
| Indiana | $40,710 |
| Kansas | $40,410 |
| Nebraska | $40,230 |
| Iowa | $39,680 |
| South Dakota | $39,120 |
| North Dakota | $37,480 |
| Arkansas | $37,050 |
| Guam | $36,480 |
| Louisiana | $36,320 |
| Alabama | $35,040 |
| Mississippi | $32,700 |
| Puerto Rico | $26,300 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for medical equipment preparers differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $58,086 | 17.9% | 1.11 |
| Middle Atlantic | $49,163 | 16.4% | 1.09 |
| New England | $48,961 | 5.2% | 1.13 |
| Rocky Mountains | $45,556 | 4.1% | 1.04 |
| Southwest | $45,498 | 9.5% | 0.89 |
| Great Lakes | $44,902 | 15.6% | 1.11 |
| Southeast | $42,628 | 23.7% | 0.99 |
| Plains States | $42,544 | 7.4% | 1.11 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $82,070 | 190 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $81,540 | 1,120 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $79,820 | 50 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $78,760 | 40 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $78,530 | 500 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $76,570 | 720 |
| Redding, CA | CA | $74,000 | 50 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $69,700 | 150 |
Top Industries Employing Medical Equipment Preparers
The bulk of medical equipment preparers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 67,050 | $46,480 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,950 | $44,230 |
| Wholesale Trade | 870 | $45,960 |
| Educational Services | 740 | $49,530 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 660 | $50,680 |
| Retail Trade | 590 | $40,520 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 290 | $45,400 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 260 | $47,480 |
Below are examples of industries where medical equipment preparers work:
Tools and Technology
- Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Time accounting software: Kronos Workforce Timekeeper (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for medical equipment preparers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Exposed to Disease or Infections
Getting Started in This Career
Most medical equipment preparers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians (Primary-Long)
- Anesthesiologist Assistants (Supplemental)
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists (Primary-Short)
- Cytotechnologists (Supplemental)
- Histotechnologists (Primary-Long)
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians (Primary-Short)
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (Primary-Short)
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Students preparing for medical equipment preparers typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 31-9093.00 (Medical Equipment Preparers).
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