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

In Knoxville, the May 2025 median for sterile processing technicians is about $46.3K, 3% under the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $36.1K to $50.3K.

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	$36,110	$37,100	$39,800
Median	$46,250	$46,990	$47,700
75th	$50,340	$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

4.2

Metro employment

210

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

University Health System, 3 campuses
East Tennessee Children's Hospital Association, 2 campuses
Endoscopy Center of Knoxville, 2 campuses
Parkwest Medical Center, 2 campuses
Apex Vascular Outpatient Center, 1 campuses
Baptist Hospital West, 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

Asheville, NC · 83 miles
Kingsport, TN · 87 miles
Johnson City, TN · 91 miles
Chattanooga, TN · 96 miles

Medical Equipment Preparers hiring pages

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Questions

Who hires sterile processing technicians in Knoxville?

Hospitals and surgery centers hire sterile processing technicians in Knoxville. Organizations on file in the provider extract include University Health System, East Tennessee Children's Hospital Association, Endoscopy Center of Knoxville.

Do I need certification for sterile processing in Tennessee?

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

What should a surgery center in Knoxville weigh when hiring?

Ask about tray types and certification. Knoxville has about as many of these workers as a typical metro. This metro is within 3 percent of the Tennessee median.