Sterile Processing Technician Jobs in Santa Cruz, CA: Pay and Who's Hiring

In Santa Cruz, the May 2025 median for sterile processing technicians is about $81.4K, 71% over the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $56.2K to $82.4K.

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	CA	U.S.
25th	$56,170	$49,650	$39,800
Median	$81,370	$61,370	$47,700
75th	$82,360	$77,660	$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

3.6

Metro employment

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

Central Coast Endoscopy Center, 1 campuses
Central Coast Endoscopy Center of Watsonville, 1 campuses
Cruz'n Anesthesia Associates, 1 campuses
Dignity Health, 1 campuses
Hastings Chiropractic, 1 campuses
Monterey Bay Surgery 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

San Jose, CA · 25 miles
Salinas, CA · 30 miles
San Francisco, CA · 59 miles
Vallejo, CA · 79 miles

Medical Equipment Preparers hiring pages

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Questions

Who hires sterile processing technicians in Santa Cruz?

Hospitals and surgery centers hire sterile processing technicians in Santa Cruz. Organizations on file in the provider extract include Central Coast Endoscopy Center, Central Coast Endoscopy Center of Watsonville, Cruz'n Anesthesia Associates.

Do I need certification for sterile processing in California?

A few states require it. Check the California rule before you start in Santa Cruz.

What should a surgery center in Santa Cruz weigh when hiring?

Ask about tray types and certification. Santa Cruz has a deeper bench of these workers than a typical metro. This metro is 33% over the California median.