Sterile Processing Technician I Salary in the United States
How much does a Sterile Processing Technician I make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Sterile Processing Technician I in the United States is $41,440 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $20.
However, a Sterile Processing Technician I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $47,552
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $38,517 to $44,639
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $35,855
10%$35,855
50% (Median)$41,440
90%$47,552
Sterile Processing Technician I Salaries by Percentile
Key Factors That Influence Sterile Processing Technician I Salaries
A Sterile Processing Technician I's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Sterile Processing Technician I 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 Processing Technician Is. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $45,882.
California: $45,708.
Massachusetts: $45,099.
District of Columbia$45,882
California$45,708
Massachusetts$45,099
Washington$44,933
New Jersey$44,917
Alaska$44,859
Connecticut$44,287
New York$44,055
Hawaii$43,313
Rhode Island$42,965
Maryland$42,729
Minnesota$42,405
Colorado$42,281
Illinois$42,240
Oregon$42,082
Delaware$41,966
New Hampshire$41,893
Virginia$41,730
Pennsylvania$41,253
Nevada$41,013
North Dakota$40,934
Michigan$40,810
Wisconsin$40,764
Vermont$40,673
Texas$40,420
Maine$40,404
Arizona$40,379
Ohio$40,350
Georgia$39,969
Indiana$39,778
Wyoming$39,741
Utah$39,683
Iowa$39,658
Kansas$39,459
Louisiana$39,401
North Carolina$39,380
Missouri$39,372
Florida$39,210
Montana$39,123
Nebraska$39,040
Kentucky$38,995
South Carolina$38,829
Tennessee$38,725
Idaho$38,684
New Mexico$38,382
Oklahoma$38,315
Alabama$38,071
South Dakota$37,660
Arkansas$37,437
West Virginia$37,317
Mississippi$36,956
Top Paying Cities for Sterile Processing Technician Is
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: $52,268
San Francisco: $51,696
Oakland: $50,606
San Jose, CA$52,268
San Francisco, CA$51,696
Oakland, CA$50,606
New York, NY$47,713
Paramus, NJ$47,133
Queens Village, NY$47,131
Passaic, NJ$47,092
Bergenfield, NJ$47,088
Stamford, CT$46,997
Huntington, NY$46,980
Newark, NJ$46,674
Bridgeport, CT$46,586
Vallejo, CA$46,504
New Brunswick, NJ$46,487
Petaluma, CA$46,462
Middlesex, NJ$46,384
Somerset, NJ$46,355
Santa Cruz, CA$46,301
Boston, MA$46,048
Monterey, CA$45,902
Seattle, WA$45,808
Santa Rosa, CA$45,799
Los Angeles, CA$45,787
Juneau, AK$45,679
Washington, DC$45,634
Orange, CA$45,486
Santa Ana, CA$45,377
Long Beach, CA$45,335
Anaheim, CA$45,327
Anchorage, AK$45,306
Santa Maria, CA$45,182
Everett, WA$45,174
Danbury, CT$45,028
Bremerton, WA$44,970
Tacoma, WA$44,821
New Suffolk, NY$44,820
Sacramento, CA$44,809
Santa Barbara, CA$44,763
Trenton, NJ$44,718
San Diego, CA$44,718
Brockton, MA$44,672
Fairbanks, AK$44,571
Lompoc, CA$44,465
Lowell, MA$44,431
Ventura, CA$44,423
Nashua, NH$44,415
Stockton, CA$44,411
Modesto, CA$44,109
Poughkeepsie, NY$44,017
Olympia, WA$43,939
Kennewick, WA$43,939
New Haven, CT$43,922
Lawrence, MA$43,773
Hartford, CT$43,731
Riverside, CA$43,723
New Bedford, MA$43,682
Richland, WA$43,682
Bakersfield, CA$43,624
San Bernardino, CA$43,607
New Britain, CT$43,603
Atlantic City, NJ$43,603
New London, CT$43,586
Norwich, CT$43,574
Portsmouth, NH$43,566
Boulder, CO$43,478
Portland, OR$43,421
Worcester, MA$43,416
Minneapolis, MN$43,288
Philadelphia, PA$43,230
Honolulu, HI$43,093
Saint Paul, MN$43,073
Vineland, NJ$43,064
Providence, RI$42,944
Chicago, IL$42,824
Bellingham, WA$42,774
Springfield, MA$42,741
Baltimore, MD$42,729
Chico, CA$42,625
Pittsfield, MA$42,513
Manchester, NH$42,434
Spokane, WA$42,252
Denver, CO$42,248
Albany, NY$42,053
Troy, NY$42,037
Nassau, NY$41,992
Schenectady, NY$41,950
Wilmington, DE$41,916
Burlington, VT$41,858
Salem, OR$41,842
Portland, ME$41,713
Yakima, WA$41,672
Rochester, MN$41,543
Reno, NV$41,523
Fresno, CA$41,523
Milwaukee, WI$41,485
Detroit, MI$41,444
Ann Arbor, MI$41,437
Allentown, PA$41,432
Colorado Springs, CO$41,361
Syracuse, NY$41,340
Carson City, NV$41,340
Houston, TX$41,282
Eugene, OR$41,262
Gary, IN$41,212
Springfield, OR$41,179
Bismarck, ND$41,170
Galveston, TX$41,141
Medford, OR$41,079
Fort Collins, CO$41,063
Concord, NH$41,042
Austin, TX$41,030
Mesa, AZ$40,943
Reading, PA$40,938
Phoenix, AZ$40,934
Dallas, TX$40,922
Saint Cloud, MN$40,882
Madison, WI$40,826
Utica, NY$40,715
Rochester, NY$40,648
Des Moines, IA$40,644
Raleigh, NC$40,640
Atlanta, GA$40,578
Battle Creek, MI$40,565
Salt Lake City, UT$40,553
Lancaster, PA$40,491
Harrisburg, PA$40,433
Kansas City, MO$40,391
Champaign, IL$40,383
Kansas City, KS$40,383
Fort Worth, TX$40,379
Columbus, OH$40,372
Boca Raton, FL$40,362
Pittsburgh, PA$40,346
Richmond, VA$40,329
Indianapolis, IN$40,321
Cleveland, OH$40,317
Las Vegas, NV$40,267
Cincinnati, OH$40,267
Petersburg, VA$40,205
Huntsville, AL$40,143
Lansing, MI$40,115
Lebanon, PA$40,110
Pueblo, CO$40,105
Appleton, WI$40,093
Buffalo, NY$40,076
Dayton, OH$40,064
Racine, WI$40,056
Charlotte, NC$40,052
Saint Louis, MO$40,039
York, PA$40,014
Elkhart, IN$40,014
Gastonia, NC$40,006
Billings, MT$39,996
Beaumont, TX$39,985
Lorain, OH$39,977
Benton Harbor, MI$39,969
Toledo, OH$39,960
Binghamton, NY$39,940
Rock Hill, SC$39,936
Rockford, IL$39,915
Springfield, IL$39,898
Elyria, OH$39,894
Fargo, ND$39,894
Flagstaff, AZ$39,865
Fort Lauderdale, FL$39,840
Duluth, MN$39,815
Miami, FL$39,815
Cheyenne, WY$39,786
Grand Forks, ND$39,786
Bangor, ME$39,695
Cedar Rapids, IA$39,650
Durham, NC$39,632
Louisville, KY$39,629
Grand Rapids, MI$39,621
Hialeah, FL$39,616
Casper, WY$39,558
Scranton, PA$39,509
New Orleans, LA$39,496
Virginia Beach, VA$39,492
Akron, OH$39,471
Peoria, IL$39,418
Sarasota, FL$39,409
Nashville, TN$39,380
Omaha, NE$39,380
Green Bay, WI$39,380
Baton Rouge, LA$39,360
Charleston, SC$39,351
Jamestown, NY$39,331
Davenport, IA$39,331
Tucson, AZ$39,310
Saint Petersburg, FL$39,285
Tampa, FL$39,277
Evansville, IN$39,252
Port Arthur, TX$39,252
Bradenton, FL$39,235
Santa Fe, NM$39,161
Orlando, FL$39,086
Clearwater, FL$39,074
Canton, OH$38,987
La Crosse, WI$38,987
Albuquerque, NM$38,962
Newport News, VA$38,958
High Point, NC$38,945
Ogden, UT$38,929
Corpus Christi, TX$38,895
Norfolk, VA$38,871
Laramie, WY$38,871
Rock Island, IL$38,846
Saginaw, MI$38,837
Jacksonville, FL$38,833
Salisbury, NC$38,825
Boise, ID$38,817
Moline, IL$38,796
Fort Myers, FL$38,784
Memphis, TN$38,775
Tulsa, OK$38,755
Waterloo, IA$38,730
Spartanburg, SC$38,688
Lincoln, NE$38,667
Fort Wayne, IN$38,659
Provo, UT$38,655
Cedar Falls, IA$38,605
San Antonio, TX$38,589
Greensboro, NC$38,572
South Bend, IN$38,568
Savannah, GA$38,522
Muskegon, MI$38,506
Birmingham, AL$38,502
Winston Salem, NC$38,481
Lake Charles, LA$38,382
Anderson, IN$38,373
Lexington, KY$38,361
Augusta, GA$38,348
Greenville, SC$38,348
Lima, OH$38,315
Wichita, KS$38,311
Tuscaloosa, AL$38,311
Columbia, SC$38,274
Springfield, OH$38,266
Asheville, NC$38,199
Bloomington, IN$38,170
Knoxville, TN$38,021
Shreveport, LA$38,017
Wilmington, NC$37,963
Roanoke, VA$37,963
Topeka, KS$37,888
Frankfort, KY$37,884
Oklahoma City, OK$37,855
Chillicothe, OH$37,839
Longview, TX$37,835
Melbourne, FL$37,830
Sioux Falls, SD$37,764
Mobile, AL$37,760
Terre Haute, IN$37,743
Altoona, PA$37,719
Amarillo, TX$37,689
Killeen, TX$37,677
Fayetteville, AR$37,644
Chattanooga, TN$37,631
Sioux City, IA$37,594
Idaho Falls, ID$37,586
Lynchburg, VA$37,553
Gainesville, FL$37,499
Portsmouth, OH$37,478
Little Rock, AR$37,470
Lafayette, LA$37,453
Youngstown, OH$37,453
Daytona Beach, FL$37,428
Clarksville, TN$37,424
Pensacola, FL$37,420
Temple, TX$37,417
Hopkinsville, KY$37,296
Erie, PA$37,288
Florence, SC$37,271
Charleston, WV$37,205
Great Falls, MT$37,184
Macon, GA$37,126
Tallahassee, FL$37,122
Fayetteville, NC$37,113
Waco, TX$37,105
Helena, MT$37,076
Pine Bluff, AR$37,060
Vincennes, IN$37,010
Lubbock, TX$36,993
Alamogordo, NM$36,968
Twin Falls, ID$36,931
Rapid City, SD$36,919
Jackson, MS$36,844
Huntington, WV$36,841
Greenville, MS$36,840
Parkersburg, WV$36,798
Montgomery, AL$36,790
Wichita Falls, TX$36,749
Springfield, MO$36,749
Biloxi, MS$36,728
Monroe, LA$36,687
Johnstown, PA$36,658
Sumter, SC$36,641
Columbus, GA$36,637
Pascagoula, MS$36,558
Abilene, TX$36,558
Kingsport, TN$36,450
Albany, GA$36,450
Gulfport, MS$36,438
Alexandria, LA$36,301
Fort Smith, AR$36,198
El Paso, TX$36,086
Las Cruces, NM$35,899
Harlingen, TX$35,794
Pocatello, ID$35,787
Florence, AL$35,734
Brownsville, TX$35,725
Mcallen, TX$35,638
Dothan, AL$35,580
Columbus, MS$35,334
Altus, OK$35,141
Lawton, OK$35,062
Pierre, SD$34,913
What Skills Can Increase a Sterile Processing Technician I's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Commitment (Mentioned in 4.07% 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.
Quality Assurance (Mentioned in 3.87% Job Postings): Verifying the adherence of product with required specifications and expectations to track and resolve deficiencies prior to product release.
Container (Mentioned in 2.53% Job Postings): Container is an object used for or capable of holding, esp for transport or storage, such as a carton, box, etc.
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 Processing Technician I's salary.
Products and Services: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Oral Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Organizational Skills: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Sterile Processing Technician I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Sterile Processing Technician I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Healthcare and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average.
In contrast, Sterile Processing Technician positions in Pharmaceuticals or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Sterile Processing Technician I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Sterile Processing Technician I
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$62,160
$30.0
50%
Biotechnology
$49,728
$24.0
20%
How Education impacts a Sterile Processing Technician I's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Sterile Processing Technician Is 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 Processing Technician I with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$38,041
and $40,483).
Sterile Processing Technician I Salaries by Degree Level
$42,000
$41,500
$40,900
$40,400
$39,800
$39,200
$38,700
$38,100
No Diploma
High School
Associates
Bachelors
Masters
Doctorate
Typical Education for Sterile Processing Technician I
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
1.7%
High School
81.7%
Associates
9.2%
Bachelors
6.7%
Masters
0.8%
Doctorate
0.8%
Typical Education for Sterile Processing Technician I
Sterile Processing Technician I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Sterile Processing Technician I'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$38,517
Average$41,440/year
$44,639
$3,210
Average$3,453/month
$3,720
$741
Average$797/week
$858
$19
Average$20/hour
$21
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$44,639
$3,720
$858
$21
Average
$41,440
$3,453
$797
$20
25th Percentile
$38,517
$3,210
$741
$19
Salaries of Jobs related to Sterile Processing Technician I
Director Of Sterile Processing$172,523
Sterile Processing Manager$92,589
Sterile Processing Supervisor$66,388
Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician$42,388
Sterile Supply Processing Technician$40,480
Sterile Supply Attendant$40,472
Lead Sterile Processing Technician$40,117
Sterile Processing Technician II$40,101
Central Sterile Processing Technician$40,079
Certified Sterile Processing Technician$40,050
Traveling Sterile Processing Technician$39,703
Salary Trends for Sterile Processing Technician I
Salaries for a Sterile Processing Technician I can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $40,173 in 2023
to around $40,139 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Sterile Processing Technician I salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Sterile Processing Technician I Over Time
$???
$40,173
$40,274
$40,139
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$40,173
2024
$40,274
2025
$40,139
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Sterile Processing Technician I
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Sterile Processing Technician I
Here are companies hiring for Sterile Processing Technician I and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Sterile Processing Technician I Job
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Sterile Processing Technician I job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
For Employees
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Get a Salary Increase
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Search Job Openings
For Employers
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Adjust Employee Salary
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Price My Industry Jobs
FAQ about Sterile Processing Technician I
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Sterile Processing Technician I?
The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Sterile Processing Technician I roles,
with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
