Sterile Processing Technician Jobs in Chicago, IL: Pay and Who's Hiring

In Chicago, the May 2025 median for sterile processing technicians is about $48.6K, within 3 percent of the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $46.9K to $57.4K.

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	IL	U.S.
25th	$46,850	$44,370	$39,800
Median	$48,630	$48,050	$47,700
75th	$57,370	$56,780	$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

4.1

Metro employment

2,140

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

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 9 campuses
Advocate Health and Hospitals, 8 campuses
Hines VA Hospital, 7 campuses
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 6 campuses
United Shockwave Services, 6 campuses
Ingalls Memorial Hospital, 5 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

Kenosha, WI · 53 miles
South Bend, IN · 74 miles
Rockford, IL · 77 miles
Milwaukee, WI · 86 miles

Related roles

One manager hiring: Hire a Sterile Processing Technician in Chicago.

Medical Equipment Preparers hiring pages

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Questions

Who hires sterile processing technicians in Chicago?

Hospitals and surgery centers hire sterile processing technicians in Chicago. Organizations on file in the provider extract include Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Advocate Health and Hospitals, Hines VA Hospital.

Do I need certification for sterile processing in Illinois?

A few states require it. Check the Illinois rule before you start in Chicago.

What should a surgery center in Chicago weigh when hiring?

Ask about tray types and certification. Chicago has slightly fewer of these workers than a typical metro. This metro is within 3 percent of the Illinois median.