How to become a sterile processing technician

1. 1Finish high school or a GED

   Time: 4 years (high school)Sources 9

   A high school diploma or equivalent is the usual minimum for hospital SPD jobs and training programs. Biology, health science and any course that builds careful reading help, because you will learn microbiology basics, chemical safety and long instrument names. College programs also screen students before clinical work: Houston Community College, for example, requires a hepatitis B series and other immunizations, a drug screen and CPR certification before enrollment.

2. 2Choose how to learn the material

   Time: A few weeks to 1 yearCost: $135 manual to about $4,578/yr tuitionSources 9, 3, 4

   You can enroll in a community college certificate (Houston Community College's runs two semesters full time), take a self-paced online course, or study the HSPA Sterile Processing Technical Manual (9th edition) on your own. The CRCST exam draws on that manual. Purdue's self-study course, for example, gives up to a year to finish but says plainly it cannot arrange the hands-on hours, so a classroom program with a hospital clinical rotation is the easier route if you have no SPD contacts.

3. 3Get hands-on hours in a sterile processing department

   Time: 400 hours (about 10 weeks full time)Sources 1, 12

   HSPA requires 400 hours of hands-on work in a sterile processing department for full CRCST status, paid or volunteer, completed within the five years before you apply. Many people get them through a program's clinical rotation, while others take an entry-level SPD aide or trainee job and count their working hours. At 40 hours a week, that is about ten weeks. Keep careful records signed by your supervisor, because HSPA asks for documentation of the hours.

4. 4Pass the CRCST or CSPDT exam

   Time: 3-hour examCost: $140 (CRCST) or $135 (CSPDT), 2026Sources 1, 2

   The CRCST exam has 150 multiple-choice questions, is taken on a computer and allows three hours. If you have not finished your hours yet, you can test first and hold provisional status, but you must document the 400 hours within six months of passing. The CBSPD's CSPDT is the other national option; it also has 150 questions and accepts candidates who completed a training course with a grade of 70% or higher, or who have 12 months of SPD work.

5. 5Apply for SPD jobs and keep your credential current

   Time: OngoingCost: Annual renewal feeSources 5, 1, 2, 10, 11

   Hospitals, surgery centers and staffing agencies hire certified techs, and some will hire you uncertified and set a deadline to pass. In New York, hospitals must make sure central service techs hired after 2015 earn the CRCST, CSPDT or an equivalent credential within 18 months of hire and complete 10 hours of continuing education a year. CRCST renews every year with 12 continuing education credits; CSPDT renews every five years.

Programs, tuition and graduates’ earnings

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15). Scorecard groups programs by 4-digit field, so a row can include related programs. Tuition is the median published undergraduate tuition and fees of the colleges offering the program (shown only for undergraduate credentials); debt is the median of programs’ median federal loan debt at completion; earnings are the national median for the field and credential four years after completion.

Requirements differ by state. Check your state’s rules in the CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) before you enroll.

Attention to detail

One missing screw, a speck of bone in a hinge or a mislabeled tray can stop a surgery or cause an infection.

Instrument knowledge

You must recognize hundreds of clamps, retractors and scopes by name and know how each one comes apart for cleaning.

Following procedures exactly

Sterilization depends on doing every step in order, with the right temperature, time and indicators, even when the OR is waiting.

Physical stamina

Techs stand for long shifts, push heavy case carts and lift loaded trays repeatedly.

Record keeping

Every sterilizer load and test result is logged so that a recall can trace exactly which trays went to which patients.

O*NET 31.0 rates these skills as most important for the occupation: critical thinking, monitoring, active listening, reading comprehension, speaking.

Training cost

$275–$4.9K

Before financial aid

Time

6-12 months

Typical path

Median pay

$47,700

All US jobs: $50,980

Payback once qualified

No premium

Pay above the all-jobs median vs. cost

Low: self-study while working as a trainee, with the HSPA Sterile Processing Technical Manual boxed course ($135 non-member price) plus the CRCST exam fee ($140) = $275. High: one year at the College Scorecard median public in-state tuition for allied health certificates ($4,578) + $135 + $140 = $4,853. Not included: program fees, scrubs, background checks, immunizations and annual renewal fees. Some hospitals pay for training and the exam.

Rough guide only: ignores taxes, aid, interest and earnings given up during training. How we calculate it.

• Surgical technologist$64,650 median

  Complete an accredited surgical technology certificate or associate program (often 1-2 years) and pass a certification exam; SPD instrument knowledge gives you a head start.

• Radiology technician$80,110 median

  Requires an accredited radiography program, usually an associate degree, plus the ARRT exam and a state license in most states.

• Physician assistant$135,880 median

  A long path: a bachelor's degree, patient-care hours and a master's PA program, then the PANCE and a state license.

• SPD lead tech or supervisor

  Gain several years of experience, add the CIS or CER credential, then the HSPA CHL leadership certification for supervisor and manager roles.