6 templates by facility type, with OSHA, CRCST, and FLSA guidance. Download as DOCX.
Most sterile processing technician templates online give you one generic hospital duties list, which misses the facilities that often struggle most to hire: surgery centers, dental practices, and outpatient and endoscopy centers running on small teams. The role looks different in each, and it carries certification, OSHA, and classification details no generic template addresses.
At FirstHR, we build templates segmented by where the role actually works, with the compliance fields built in. The six below cover hospital, surgery center, dental, endoscopy, entry-level, and lead versions. Pick the one that matches your facility, fill in the brackets, and post, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
TL;DR
Six free templates by facility type: General/Hospital, Surgery Center, Dental, Endoscopy, Entry-Level, and Lead. Built in, and skipped by competitors: certification (CRCST or CSPDT), OSHA bloodborne pathogen requirements that apply even to the smallest clinic, and the fact that the role is FLSA non-exempt and hourly. Pay anchor: about $46,490 median (BLS, 2024).
What Does a Sterile Processing Technician Do?
A sterile processing technician cleans, decontaminates, assembles, and sterilizes surgical instruments so they are safe and ready for procedures, documenting and tracking each step. The role is also called central sterile technician, SPD technician, or, in dental settings, sterilization technician. In federal data it maps to medical equipment preparers (SOC 31-9093).
For the employer writing the posting, two facts shape the hire: the role differs by facility type, and it carries real certification and OSHA requirements. The six templates split by setting so the document matches the real role.
The Role by Facility Type
Most sterile processing technicians work in hospitals, which have full departments and HR teams. But the role is also hired by smaller facilities, where it looks different, and those are often the ones writing their own job descriptions.
Facility
How the role works
Hospital
Full SPD; high instrument volume; specialized
Surgery center (ASC)
One or two techs; may support OR turnover
Dental practice
Often titled sterilization technician; CDC guidelines
Endoscopy / outpatient
Scope reprocessing and high-level disinfection
The smaller settings, surgery centers, dental practices, and endoscopy and outpatient centers, are where a facility-matched template helps most, since a generic hospital description does not fit how the role actually works there.
Sterile Processing Technician Duties and Responsibilities
Sterile processing duties cluster into decontamination and assembly, sterilization, documentation and inventory, and compliance and safety. The volume and specialization shift by facility, but these areas hold across the role.
Decontamination and assembly
Clean and decontaminate used instruments
Inspect, assemble, and wrap trays
Prepare instruments for sterilization
Sterilization
Operate steam and low-temperature sterilizers
Verify cycles and chemical indicators
Confirm loads are safe for use
Documentation and inventory
Document processing and cycle records
Track instrument and supply inventory
Maintain logs to standard
Compliance and safety
Follow OSHA bloodborne pathogen rules
Apply AAMI and facility standards
Wear required PPE at all times
A strong posting grounds these in your specifics: your facility type, your instrument volume, your standards, and your reporting line. For a structured way to scope any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by facility type and level. Each carries the terminology and compliance framing for that setting. Use this guide to choose.
General / Hospital
Standard SPD role
The universal base: decontamination, assembly, sterilization, and inventory in a hospital or standard SPD.
Surgery Center (ASC)
Outpatient surgical
For a small surgery center: often one or two techs, cross-trained to support OR turnover and case readiness.
Dental Sterilization
Dental practice
For a dental office, where the role is often called sterilization technician and follows CDC dental guidelines.
Endoscopy Reprocessing
Scope reprocessing
For endoscopy or outpatient centers: high-level disinfection and automated scope reprocessing with careful documentation.
Entry-Level / Trainee
No experience required
For a trainee hire: learns on the job with a requirement to earn certification within a set period.
Lead / Senior
Guides the team
For a senior hire: processes instruments, trains new techs, and maintains quality and documentation standards.
Match the Template to the Facility
Hospital or standard SPD: General. Surgery center: ASC. Dental office: Dental Sterilization (note the different title). Endoscopy or outpatient: Endoscopy Reprocessing. No-experience hire: Entry-Level. Senior hire: Lead. All are non-exempt and hourly; state certification expectations and OSHA requirements in every version.
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: facility summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, physical demands, the non-exempt note, and hourly pay, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Templates
General, surgery center, dental, endoscopy, entry-level, and lead. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: General / Hospital Sterile Processing Technician
The universal base: decontamination, assembly, sterilization, and inventory in a hospital or standard SPD.
Certification is a common and increasingly expected requirement, and stating your expectation clearly in the posting attracts the right candidates.
Certification
Offered by
CRCST
Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA)
CSPDT
Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution
Decide whether you require certification at hire or within a set period, often 18 to 24 months given the workforce shortage, and state it in the posting. A few states have certification requirements, so check yours. The Healthcare Sterile Processing Association and CBSPD publish current requirements.
OSHA and Sterilization Standards
This is the compliance layer generic templates skip, and it applies even to the smallest clinic.
OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Applies to Every Clinic
Any employer whose staff handle contaminated instruments, including a small dental office or surgery center, is covered by the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard, which requires bloodborne pathogen training, an exposure control plan, hepatitis B vaccination offers, and PPE. Sterile processing also follows recognized sterilization standards such as AAMI ST79. A new technician should complete bloodborne pathogen training before handling contaminated items. Review the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard and build the requirements into hiring and onboarding.
Build training, the vaccination offer, and PPE orientation into onboarding so compliance is handled before the technician starts. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm your program with qualified counsel.
FLSA: Why This Role Is Non-Exempt
Classification is straightforward for this role, but worth stating in the posting.
A Sterile Processing Technician Is Non-Exempt
A sterile processing technician is non-exempt under the FLSA, so the role is hourly and overtime-eligible, and you must track hours and pay time-and-a-half over 40 in a workweek. The work is hands-on technical work that does not involve discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance, and the entry requirement is typically a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, so it does not meet the white-collar exemption tests. Set pay hourly and budget for overtime, which is common given staffing shortages. Review DOL overtime guidance and classify by the actual duties.
Treat the role as non-exempt and set pay hourly. For the underlying rules, the exempt vs non-exempt guide and the Fair Labor Standards Act guide explain the tests. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with an employment attorney, since some states set stricter rules.
Sterile Processing Technician Pay
Pay varies by facility type, region, and experience, and the role is paid hourly.
Sterile Processing Technician Pay (BLS, 2024)
Sterile processing technicians are classified under medical equipment preparers (SOC 31-9093), with a median of about $46,490 a year (roughly $22.35 an hour), ranging from about $34,020 at the 10th percentile to about $63,980 at the 90th (O*NET, BLS data).
Because the role is non-exempt, set pay hourly and budget for overtime. The field also has a strong travel and agency market paying notably higher hourly rates, reflecting the technician shortage, so factor that in to stay competitive. Use current local market data for your facility type and region.
A Note on the Data
Sterile processing technicians fall under medical equipment preparers (SOC 31-9093). This is a different occupation from medical equipment repairers (SOC 49-9062), which is higher-paid, so do not use repairer figures for a sterile processing posting. Confirm against current local market data for your region and facility type.
Hiring a Sterile Processing Technician
A large hospital has a sterile processing department and an HR team to manage certification, OSHA, and classification. A surgery center, dental practice, or outpatient center hiring its own technician handles these directly. Here are the three realities that matter most.
Most sterile processing hiring happens in hospitals, but small clinics hire too, and the role looks different there
Sterile processing is concentrated in hospitals, where most technicians work and where a full sterile processing department and HR team already exist. But a meaningful share of the role sits in smaller settings: ambulatory surgery centers, dental practices, and outpatient and endoscopy centers, many of which run on small teams and handle hiring themselves. In those settings the role looks different from the hospital version. At a small surgery center the technician may be one of only one or two, cross-trained to help with operating-room turnover. In a dental office the role is often titled sterilization technician rather than sterile processing technician and may overlap with dental assisting. At an endoscopy center the focus is scope reprocessing and high-level disinfection. Using a generic hospital template for these settings produces a posting that does not match the real job. That is why this page is segmented by facility type, so a surgery center, dental practice, or outpatient center can start from a template written for how the role actually works there, rather than adapting a hospital description that assumes a large department.
A sterile processing technician is non-exempt, and certification expectations belong in the posting
A sterile processing technician is a non-exempt, hourly, overtime-eligible role under the Fair Labor Standards Act, because it is hands-on technical work that does not meet the white-collar exemption tests, and the entry requirement is typically a high school diploma plus on-the-job training. Set the role up as hourly and budget for overtime, which is common given the staffing shortages in this field. The other thing to get right in the posting is certification. The two main credentials are the CRCST, offered by the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association, and the CSPDT, offered by the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution. Many employers require certification, while others hire uncertified technicians and require them to earn it within a set window, often around 18 to 24 months, which is a practical approach given the workforce shortage. Decide which path fits your facility and state it clearly: required at hire, or required within a set period. Being explicit about certification expectations, the hourly and overtime structure, and the physical demands of the role helps you attract the right candidates and set accurate expectations from the start.
OSHA bloodborne pathogen requirements apply even to the smallest clinic, and onboarding is where you meet them
Any employer whose staff handle contaminated instruments, including the smallest dental office or surgery center, is covered by the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard, which requires bloodborne pathogen training, an exposure control plan, hepatitis B vaccination offers, and personal protective equipment. This is not optional for small clinics, and it has to be in place and documented, which makes onboarding the moment where compliance is either built in or missed. A new sterile processing or sterilization technician should complete bloodborne pathogen training before handling contaminated items, receive the hepatitis B vaccination offer, be oriented to your exposure control plan and PPE, and have their certification status and immunization records on file. FirstHR is built for exactly this kind of compliance-heavy onboarding: e-signature for the offer letter and policy acknowledgments, a training library that can house OSHA bloodborne pathogen and orientation content, onboarding task workflows that sequence training, vaccination offers, and sign-offs, document management to store certifications, immunization records, and training logs, and an HRIS with employee profiles. Because pricing is flat rather than per seat, re-hiring and re-onboarding in a high-turnover field does not add cost. FirstHR does not run payroll, conduct medical services, or provide legal advice, so pair it with your payroll provider, occupational-health provider, and an attorney as needed. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
After You Hire: Onboarding a Sterile Processing Technician
Because this role handles contaminated instruments under OSHA requirements, onboarding is where compliance is built in. Send the offer letter stating the non-exempt classification and hourly pay, collect the signed offer, and complete Form I-9 and tax forms as part of the new hire paperwork.
Then handle the role-specific steps before the technician touches contaminated items: bloodborne pathogen training, the hepatitis B vaccination offer, exposure-control-plan and PPE orientation, and capturing certification and immunization records, keeping signed onboarding documents in one place. The offer letter template covers the terms, and the onboarding checklist gives you a repeatable process.
FirstHR is built for this compliance-heavy onboarding: e-signature for the offer letter and policy acknowledgments, a training library that can house OSHA bloodborne pathogen and orientation content, onboarding task workflows that sequence training, vaccination offers, and sign-offs, document management to store certifications, immunization records, and training logs, and an HRIS with employee profiles. Because pricing is flat rather than per seat, re-onboarding in a high-turnover field does not add cost. FirstHR does not run payroll, conduct medical services, or provide legal advice, so pair it with your payroll and occupational-health providers and an attorney as needed. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A sterile processing technician decontaminates, assembles, and sterilizes surgical instruments; the role maps to medical equipment preparers (SOC 31-9093).
Most work in hospitals, but surgery centers, dental practices, and endoscopy centers hire too, where the role and even its title differ; match the template to the facility.
Certification (CRCST or CSPDT) is common; decide whether you require it at hire or within a set period, often 18 to 24 months, and state it clearly.
The role is FLSA non-exempt and hourly; set pay hourly, budget for overtime, and include the physical demands in the posting.
OSHA bloodborne pathogen requirements apply even to the smallest clinic; build training, the vaccination offer, and PPE into onboarding.
Pay anchor: about $46,490 median (BLS, 2024); this role is distinct from the higher-paid medical equipment repairers, so do not mix the figures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a sterile processing technician do?
A sterile processing technician cleans, decontaminates, assembles, sterilizes, and distributes surgical instruments and medical equipment so they are safe and ready for procedures. The core workflow runs from decontamination, removing contaminated items and cleaning them, through inspection and assembly, where instruments are checked and packed into trays, to sterilization using steam or low-temperature methods, with documentation and inventory tracking throughout. The role is also called central sterile technician, SPD technician, central service technician, and, in dental settings, sterilization technician. In federal data it is classified under medical equipment preparers (SOC 31-9093). The work is essential to infection control, so it follows strict standards including OSHA bloodborne pathogen rules and AAMI sterilization guidelines. The role exists across healthcare settings: hospitals employ the most technicians, but surgery centers, dental practices, and endoscopy and outpatient centers all hire for it, often with the work looking different in each. The templates on this page cover those settings so the description matches the exact facility and role you are hiring for.
Does a sterile processing technician need to be certified?
It depends on the employer and sometimes the state, but certification is common and increasingly expected. The two main credentials are the CRCST (Certified Registered Central Service Technician), offered by the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association, and the CSPDT (Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician), offered by the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution. Some employers require certification at hire, while many, given the ongoing workforce shortage, hire uncertified technicians and require them to earn certification within a set window, often around 18 to 24 months. A few states have enacted certification requirements, so check your state's rules. For hiring, the practical decision is which path fits your facility: require certification upfront to get experienced candidates, or hire for aptitude and support certification to widen your pool. Whichever you choose, state it clearly in the job posting so candidates know the expectation. The entry-level template on this page is written for the train-and-certify path, while the general and lead templates assume certification, so you can match the requirement to your hiring strategy.
Is a sterile processing technician exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A sterile processing technician is non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which means the role is hourly and overtime-eligible, and you must track hours and pay time-and-a-half for hours over 40 in a workweek. The reason is the nature of the work: it is hands-on technical and operational work that does not involve the exercise of discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance, and the typical entry requirement is a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, so it does not meet the white-collar exemption tests. Set the role up as hourly and budget for overtime, which is common in this field because of widespread staffing shortages and the need to keep instruments processed around the surgical schedule. This holds across settings, hospital, surgery center, dental, and endoscopy. A lead or senior technician with genuine supervisory duties could in some cases be evaluated differently, but the standard technician role is non-exempt. Classify by the actual primary duties and pay rather than the title, and check your state, since some have stricter overtime rules than the federal floor.
How much does a sterile processing technician make?
Sterile processing technicians are classified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under medical equipment preparers (SOC 31-9093), which had a median annual wage of about $46,490, roughly $22.35 an hour, in 2024, with the range running from about $34,020 at the 10th percentile to about $63,980 at the 90th. Pay varies by setting, region, and experience, and tends to be higher in states with higher costs of living. Because the role is non-exempt and hourly, overtime can add to annual earnings, though it should not be assumed. The field also has a strong travel and agency market that pays notably higher hourly rates than staff positions, reflecting the persistent shortage of technicians, which is worth knowing when you set pay to stay competitive. Note that this occupation is distinct from medical equipment repairers (SOC 49-9062), a different and higher-paid role, so do not use repairer salary figures for a sterile processing posting. Set your hourly range using current local market data for your facility type and region, and factor in the competitive pressure from agency staffing.
What is the difference between a sterile processing technician and a dental sterilization technician?
They do fundamentally the same work, decontaminating and sterilizing instruments, but in different settings and often under different titles, which matters for hiring. Sterile processing technician is the standard title in hospitals and surgery centers, where the person works in a dedicated sterile processing department handling a high volume of surgical instruments. In dental practices, the same core function is usually called sterilization technician, and the role tends to be broader and less specialized: it may be combined with dental assisting, involves smaller instrument volumes, and follows CDC dental infection-control guidelines, with the CDC recommending that every dental practice have an infection-control coordinator. The terminology gap is real, and it means a dental office searching for help may not use the phrase sterile processing technician at all. For hiring, use the title your candidates will recognize: sterilization technician for a dental practice, sterile processing technician for a hospital or surgery center. This page includes a dedicated dental sterilization template alongside the standard versions so the posting matches the setting and the language candidates expect.
When should a small clinic or surgery center hire a sterile processing technician?
A small clinic, surgery center, or dental practice typically hires a dedicated sterile processing or sterilization technician once instrument reprocessing volume and compliance demands outgrow having clinical staff handle it between other duties. The signals are practical: clinical staff spending time on reprocessing instead of patient care, difficulty keeping instruments turned around for the schedule, or the need to demonstrate consistent infection-control compliance for accreditation or certification. Surgery centers and busier dental and endoscopy practices reach this point relatively early, because proper reprocessing is both time-consuming and compliance-critical. Given the well-documented shortage of technicians, many small facilities hire for aptitude and reliability and train on the job, requiring certification within a set period, rather than waiting for an experienced certified candidate. When you hire, be clear about the facility type, certification expectations, hourly and overtime structure, and physical demands. The templates on this page, segmented by facility type, give you a ready starting point matched to whether you are a surgery center, dental practice, endoscopy center, or standard sterile processing department.
What should a sterile processing technician job description include?
A strong sterile processing technician job description includes a facility summary, the core responsibilities, the qualifications, the physical demands, and the employment and pay details, matched to your specific setting. For responsibilities, cover the real workflow: decontamination, inspection and assembly, sterilization, documentation, inventory, and compliance with infection-control standards. Three things many templates skip but that matter here: state the FLSA classification as non-exempt with hourly pay, address certification clearly (CRCST or CSPDT, required at hire or within a set period), and include the physical demands, since this is physically demanding work involving standing, lifting, and exposure to heat, steam, and chemicals. For compliance, note OSHA bloodborne pathogen requirements and relevant sterilization standards. Use the title and framing that fit your facility, sterilization technician for a dental office, sterile processing technician for a hospital or surgery center. The templates on this page give you a facility-matched, fill-in-the-blank starting point across hospital, surgery center, dental, endoscopy, entry-level, and lead versions, with the certification, OSHA, and FLSA guidance generic templates leave out.
What happens after I hire a sterile processing technician?
Because this role handles contaminated instruments and is governed by OSHA requirements, onboarding is where compliance is either built in or missed, so it is worth setting up a repeatable process. Start with the basics: the offer letter stating the non-exempt classification and hourly pay, the signed offer, and Form I-9 and tax forms. Then handle the role-specific essentials before the technician handles any contaminated items: bloodborne pathogen training, the hepatitis B vaccination offer, orientation to your exposure control plan and PPE, and capturing certification status and immunization records. Given the high turnover in this field, doing this consistently every time protects both staff safety and your compliance standing. FirstHR is built for this kind of compliance-heavy onboarding: e-signature for the offer letter and policy acknowledgments, a training library that can house OSHA bloodborne pathogen and orientation content, onboarding task workflows that sequence training, vaccination offers, and sign-offs, document management to store certifications, immunization records, and training logs, and an HRIS with employee profiles. Pricing is flat rather than per seat, so re-onboarding after turnover does not add cost. FirstHR does not run payroll, conduct medical services, or provide legal advice, so pair it with your payroll and occupational-health providers and an attorney. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
