Sterile Processing Technician Jobs in Chattanooga, TN: Pay and Who's Hiring

In Chattanooga, the May 2025 median for sterile processing technicians is about $45.9K, 4% under the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $36.1K to $48.9K.

Pay

The median is the middle of sterile processing technicians already employed, not a starting wage. The 25th is the lower quarter of that group. The 75th is what the upper quarter already earns.

Percentile	Metro	TN	U.S.
25th	$36,080	$37,100	$39,800
Median	$45,860	$46,990	$47,700
75th	$48,910	$55,730	$58,570

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages are the Medical Equipment Preparers series, SOC 31-9093.

Hiring difficulty and demand

Hiring difficulty

1.5

Metro employment

220

National growth, 2025 to 2035

10.8%

National openings a year

10.7 thousand

This is the same score as the free check.

Who's hiring

Memorial Health Care System, 2 campuses
Abs Lincs Tn, 1 campuses
Center For Spine & Pain Medicine, 1 campuses
Chattanooga Endoscopy Asc, 1 campuses
Chattanooga Hamilton County Hospital Authority, 1 campuses
Chattanooga Pain Management Center, 1 campuses

Campuses on file in the provider extract, not live job ads.

License and training

Most states do not license this work, but a few, including New York and New Jersey, require certification for new hires. Employers often want CRCST from HSPA or CSPDT from CBSPD. Confirm the rule in your state.

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, medical equipment preparers

The work

You decontaminate used instruments, inspect them, and build trays to a count sheet. Then you run the sterilizer and track each load.

The schedule drives the work. An add-on case or a missing instrument means a rush, and the tray still has to be right.

Nearby metros

Huntsville, AL · 85 miles
Knoxville, TN · 96 miles
Atlanta, GA · 102 miles
Nashville, TN · 115 miles

Medical Equipment Preparers hiring pages

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Questions

Who hires sterile processing technicians in Chattanooga?

Hospitals and surgery centers hire sterile processing technicians in Chattanooga. Organizations on file in the provider extract include Memorial Health Care System, Abs Lincs Tn, Center For Spine & Pain Medicine.

Do I need certification for sterile processing in Tennessee?

A few states require it. Check the Tennessee rule before you start in Chattanooga.

What should a surgery center in Chattanooga weigh when hiring?

Ask about tray types and certification. Chattanooga has far more of these workers than a typical metro. This metro is within 3 percent of the Tennessee median.