What are the main factors that influence a Sterile Tech's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Sterile Tech's salary?

A Sterile Tech's salary grows with experience: starting around $55,188 for beginners, reaching about $57,201 at mid-level, and approach $58,229 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Sterile Tech?

Sterile Tech salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Sterile Tech roles are District of Columbia $61,753, California $61,519, Massachusetts $60,699. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Sterile Tech roles make?

Salaries for Sterile Tech level roles vary by specialization: Tech Sterile Processor Travel: $57,460; Perioperative Tech: $42,600; Lead Sterile Processing Tech: $41,188; Central Sterile Tech: $40,359; Sterile Processing Tech II: $39,851.

How do different companies affect a Sterile Tech's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Sterile Tech roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Sterile Tech Salary in the United States

How much does a Sterile Tech make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Sterile Tech in the United States is $55,774 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $27.

However, a Sterile Tech's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $61,379
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $49,747 to $58,708
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $44,260

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Sterile Tech Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$58,708	$4,892	$1,129	$28
Average	$55,774	$4,648	$1,073	$27
25th Percentile	$49,747	$4,146	$957	$24

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Key Factors That Influence Sterile Tech Salaries

A Sterile Tech's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Sterile Tech Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Sterile Tech's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $55,188
Early Career (1-2 years): $55,356
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $57,201
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $58,160
Expert (over 8 years): $58,229

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Sterile Tech	$55,188
Intermediate Level Sterile Tech	$55,356
Senior Level Sterile Tech	$57,201
Specialist Level Sterile Tech	$58,160
Expert Level Sterile Tech	$58,229

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Sterile Tech Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Sterile Teches. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $61,753.
California: $61,519.
Massachusetts: $60,699.

District of Columbia $61,753 California $61,519 Massachusetts $60,699 Washington $60,476 New Jersey $60,454 Alaska $60,376 Connecticut $59,606 New York $59,294

Hawaii $58,295 Rhode Island $57,827 Maryland $57,509 Minnesota $57,074 Colorado $56,906 Illinois $56,851 Oregon $56,639 Delaware $56,483

New Hampshire $56,384 Virginia $56,165 Pennsylvania $55,523 Nevada $55,200 North Dakota $55,094 Michigan $54,926 Wisconsin $54,865 Vermont $54,742

Texas $54,402 Maine $54,380 Arizona $54,346 Ohio $54,307 Georgia $53,794 Indiana $53,538 Wyoming $53,487 Utah $53,409

Iowa $53,376 Kansas $53,108 Louisiana $53,030 North Carolina $53,002 Missouri $52,991 Florida $52,774 Montana $52,656 Nebraska $52,545

Kentucky $52,484 South Carolina $52,260 Tennessee $52,121 Idaho $52,065 New Mexico $51,658 Oklahoma $51,569 Alabama $51,240 South Dakota $50,688

Arkansas $50,386 West Virginia $50,225 Mississippi $49,739

Top Paying Cities for Sterile Teches

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $70,348
San Francisco: $69,578
Oakland: $68,111

San Jose, CA $70,348

San Francisco, CA $69,578

Oakland, CA $68,111

New York, NY $64,218

Paramus, NJ $63,437

Queens Village, NY $63,434

Passaic, NJ $63,381

Bergenfield, NJ $63,376

Stamford, CT $63,254

Huntington, NY $63,231

Newark, NJ $62,818

Bridgeport, CT $62,701

Vallejo, CA $62,590

New Brunswick, NJ $62,567

Petaluma, CA $62,534

Middlesex, NJ $62,428

Somerset, NJ $62,389

Santa Cruz, CA $62,317

Boston, MA $61,976

Monterey, CA $61,781

Seattle, WA $61,653

Santa Rosa, CA $61,642

Los Angeles, CA $61,625

Juneau, AK $61,480

Washington, DC $61,419

Orange, CA $61,220

Santa Ana, CA $61,073

Long Beach, CA $61,017

Anaheim, CA $61,006

Anchorage, AK $60,978

Santa Maria, CA $60,811

Everett, WA $60,799

Danbury, CT $60,603

Bremerton, WA $60,526

Tacoma, WA $60,325

New Suffolk, NY $60,324

Sacramento, CA $60,309

Santa Barbara, CA $60,247

Trenton, NJ $60,186

San Diego, CA $60,186

Brockton, MA $60,125

Fairbanks, AK $59,988

Lompoc, CA $59,846

Lowell, MA $59,801

Ventura, CA $59,790

Nashua, NH $59,779

Stockton, CA $59,773

Modesto, CA $59,366

Poughkeepsie, NY $59,243

Olympia, WA $59,137

Kennewick, WA $59,137

New Haven, CT $59,115

Lawrence, MA $58,914

Hartford, CT $58,859

Riverside, CA $58,847

New Bedford, MA $58,792

Richland, WA $58,792

Bakersfield, CA $58,714

San Bernardino, CA $58,691

New Britain, CT $58,686

Atlantic City, NJ $58,686

New London, CT $58,663

Norwich, CT $58,647

Portsmouth, NH $58,635

Boulder, CO $58,517

Portland, OR $58,440

Worcester, MA $58,435

Minneapolis, MN $58,262

Philadelphia, PA $58,184

Honolulu, HI $58,000

Saint Paul, MN $57,973

Vineland, NJ $57,961

Providence, RI $57,799

Chicago, IL $57,637

Bellingham, WA $57,570

Springfield, MA $57,526

Baltimore, MD $57,509

Chico, CA $57,369

Pittsfield, MA $57,219

Manchester, NH $57,113

Spokane, WA $56,867

Denver, CO $56,862

Albany, NY $56,600

Troy, NY $56,577

Nassau, NY $56,518

Schenectady, NY $56,460

Wilmington, DE $56,416

Burlington, VT $56,338

Salem, OR $56,315

Portland, ME $56,142

Yakima, WA $56,087

Rochester, MN $55,914

Reno, NV $55,886

Fresno, CA $55,886

Milwaukee, WI $55,836

Detroit, MI $55,780

Ann Arbor, MI $55,770

Allentown, PA $55,763

Colorado Springs, CO $55,668

Syracuse, NY $55,640

Carson City, NV $55,640

Houston, TX $55,562

Eugene, OR $55,534

Gary, IN $55,467

Springfield, OR $55,423

Bismarck, ND $55,412

Galveston, TX $55,373

Medford, OR $55,289

Fort Collins, CO $55,267

Concord, NH $55,239

Austin, TX $55,222

Mesa, AZ $55,105

Reading, PA $55,099

Phoenix, AZ $55,094

Dallas, TX $55,077

Saint Cloud, MN $55,023

Madison, WI $54,949

Utica, NY $54,798

Rochester, NY $54,709

Des Moines, IA $54,703

Raleigh, NC $54,698

Atlanta, GA $54,614

Battle Creek, MI $54,597

Salt Lake City, UT $54,581

Lancaster, PA $54,497

Harrisburg, PA $54,419

Kansas City, MO $54,363

Champaign, IL $54,352

Kansas City, KS $54,352

Fort Worth, TX $54,346

Columbus, OH $54,337

Boca Raton, FL $54,324

Pittsburgh, PA $54,302

Richmond, VA $54,279

Indianapolis, IN $54,268

Cleveland, OH $54,263

Las Vegas, NV $54,196

Cincinnati, OH $54,196

Petersburg, VA $54,112

Huntsville, AL $54,028

Lansing, MI $53,991

Lebanon, PA $53,984

Pueblo, CO $53,978

Appleton, WI $53,962

Buffalo, NY $53,939

Dayton, OH $53,922

Racine, WI $53,911

Charlotte, NC $53,906

Saint Louis, MO $53,889

York, PA $53,856

Elkhart, IN $53,856

Gastonia, NC $53,845

Billings, MT $53,832

Beaumont, TX $53,817

Lorain, OH $53,805

Benton Harbor, MI $53,794

Toledo, OH $53,783

Binghamton, NY $53,755

Rock Hill, SC $53,750

Rockford, IL $53,722

Springfield, IL $53,699

Elyria, OH $53,694

Fargo, ND $53,694

Flagstaff, AZ $53,655

Fort Lauderdale, FL $53,621

Duluth, MN $53,588

Miami, FL $53,588

Cheyenne, WY $53,549

Grand Forks, ND $53,549

Bangor, ME $53,426

Cedar Rapids, IA $53,365

Durham, NC $53,341

Louisville, KY $53,337

Grand Rapids, MI $53,326

Hialeah, FL $53,320

Casper, WY $53,242

Scranton, PA $53,175

New Orleans, LA $53,158

Virginia Beach, VA $53,153

Akron, OH $53,125

Peoria, IL $53,052

Sarasota, FL $53,041

Nashville, TN $53,002

Omaha, NE $53,002

Green Bay, WI $53,002

Baton Rouge, LA $52,974

Charleston, SC $52,963

Jamestown, NY $52,935

Davenport, IA $52,935

Tucson, AZ $52,907

Saint Petersburg, FL $52,874

Tampa, FL $52,863

Evansville, IN $52,829

Port Arthur, TX $52,829

Bradenton, FL $52,807

Santa Fe, NM $52,707

Orlando, FL $52,606

Clearwater, FL $52,589

Canton, OH $52,472

La Crosse, WI $52,472

Albuquerque, NM $52,439

Newport News, VA $52,433

High Point, NC $52,417

Ogden, UT $52,394

Corpus Christi, TX $52,350

Norfolk, VA $52,316

Laramie, WY $52,316

Rock Island, IL $52,283

Saginaw, MI $52,272

Jacksonville, FL $52,266

Salisbury, NC $52,255

Boise, ID $52,244

Moline, IL $52,216

Fort Myers, FL $52,199

Memphis, TN $52,188

Tulsa, OK $52,160

Waterloo, IA $52,127

Spartanburg, SC $52,071

Lincoln, NE $52,043

Fort Wayne, IN $52,032

Provo, UT $52,026

Cedar Falls, IA $51,959

San Antonio, TX $51,937

Greensboro, NC $51,915

South Bend, IN $51,909

Savannah, GA $51,848

Muskegon, MI $51,825

Birmingham, AL $51,820

Winston Salem, NC $51,792

Lake Charles, LA $51,658

Anderson, IN $51,647

Lexington, KY $51,630

Augusta, GA $51,613

Greenville, SC $51,613

Lima, OH $51,569

Wichita, KS $51,563

Tuscaloosa, AL $51,563

Columbia, SC $51,513

Springfield, OH $51,502

Asheville, NC $51,413

Bloomington, IN $51,374

Knoxville, TN $51,173

Shreveport, LA $51,167

Wilmington, NC $51,095

Roanoke, VA $51,095

Topeka, KS $50,994

Frankfort, KY $50,988

Oklahoma City, OK $50,950

Chillicothe, OH $50,927

Longview, TX $50,922

Melbourne, FL $50,916

Sioux Falls, SD $50,827

Mobile, AL $50,821

Terre Haute, IN $50,799

Altoona, PA $50,766

Amarillo, TX $50,727

Killeen, TX $50,710

Fayetteville, AR $50,665

Chattanooga, TN $50,649

Sioux City, IA $50,598

Idaho Falls, ID $50,587

Lynchburg, VA $50,543

Gainesville, FL $50,470

Portsmouth, OH $50,442

Little Rock, AR $50,431

Lafayette, LA $50,409

Youngstown, OH $50,409

Daytona Beach, FL $50,375

Clarksville, TN $50,370

Pensacola, FL $50,364

Temple, TX $50,360

Hopkinsville, KY $50,197

Erie, PA $50,186

Florence, SC $50,163

Charleston, WV $50,074

Great Falls, MT $50,046

Macon, GA $49,968

Tallahassee, FL $49,963

Fayetteville, NC $49,951

Waco, TX $49,940

Helena, MT $49,901

Pine Bluff, AR $49,880

Vincennes, IN $49,812

Lubbock, TX $49,790

Alamogordo, NM $49,756

Twin Falls, ID $49,706

Rapid City, SD $49,689

Jackson, MS $49,589

Huntington, WV $49,585

Greenville, MS $49,583

Parkersburg, WV $49,526

Montgomery, AL $49,516

Wichita Falls, TX $49,461

Springfield, MO $49,461

Biloxi, MS $49,433

Monroe, LA $49,377

Johnstown, PA $49,338

Sumter, SC $49,316

Columbus, GA $49,310

Pascagoula, MS $49,204

Abilene, TX $49,204

Kingsport, TN $49,059

Albany, GA $49,059

Gulfport, MS $49,042

Alexandria, LA $48,858

Fort Smith, AR $48,719

El Paso, TX $48,568

Las Cruces, NM $48,317

Harlingen, TX $48,176

Pocatello, ID $48,167

Florence, AL $48,094

Brownsville, TX $48,083

Mcallen, TX $47,966

Dothan, AL $47,888

Columbus, MS $47,556

Altus, OK $47,297

Lawton, OK $47,191

Pierre, SD $46,990

What Skills Can Increase a Sterile Tech's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 3.36% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Basic Life Support (Mentioned in 3.08% Job Postings): BLS is a level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until they can be given full medical care by advanced life support providers. It can be provided by trained medical personnel.
Cardiac (Mentioned in 2.09% Job Postings): Cardiac means relating to the heart. The adjective cardiac is most often used in a medical context: a doctor who operates on people's hearts is a cardiac surgeon and an irregular heart beat is called "cardiac arrhythmia."

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	3.36%
Basic Life Support	3.08%
Cardiac	2.09%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Sterile Tech's salary.

Team Building: Can increase your salary by up to 36%.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Accountability: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Team Building	$75,853	36%
Innovation	$59,121	6%
Accountability	$58,563	5%
Communication Skills	$58,005	4%
Diversity and Inclusion	$58,005	4%
Anesthesia	$57,447	3%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Sterile Tech's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Sterile Teches enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Sterile Tech with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $55,038 and $58,332).

Sterile Tech Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Sterile Tech

No Diploma 0.7%

High School 58.7%

Associates 30.1%

Bachelors 8.4%

Masters 2.1%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.7%
High School	58.7%
Associates	30.1%
Bachelors	8.4%
Masters	2.1%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Sterile Tech Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Sterile Tech's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$49,747

Average $55,774/year

$58,708

$4,146

Average $4,648/month

$4,892

$957

Average $1,073/week

$1,129

$24

Average $27/hour

$28

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$58,708	$4,892	$1,129	$28
Average	$55,774	$4,648	$1,073	$27
25th Percentile	$49,747	$4,146	$957	$24

Salaries of jobs related to Sterile Tech

Salary Trends for Sterile Tech

Salaries for a Sterile Tech can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $64,594 in 2023 to around $58,164 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Sterile Tech salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Sterile Tech Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$64,594

2024

$60,896

2025

$58,164

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$64,594
2024	$60,896
2025	$58,164
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Sterile Tech

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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