Sterile processing technicians play an extremely crucial role in the medical industry.
Decontaminating, cleaning, and sterilizing medical equipment is essential to prevent life-threatening complications from surgical procedures, including the spread of bacteria and germs.
Therefore, becoming a sterile processing technician is an excellent option for team players who can work on their feet all day and have excellent attention to detail and critical thinking.
The first step to your new career is enrolling in a training program.
Keep reading to learn more about becoming a sterile processing technician in New York!
Page Navigation
- Steps to Become a Sterile Processing Technician in New York
- Sterile Processing Technician Schools in New York
- Sterile Processing Technician Schools in New York – Summary Table
- Salary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the typical daily functions of a New York-based sterile processing technician?
- What are the New York State sterile processing technician licensing requirements?
- What educational requirements are needed to become a sterile processing technician in New York State?
- What are the prerequisites for being accepted into a program?
Steps to Become a Sterile Processing Technician in New York
Becoming a sterile processing technician in New York State can be simple.
The steps are as follows:
Step One: Complete a Training Program
With so many training programs across the state, students are close to an education facility, regardless of location.
Finding a training program that fits your budget while meeting your career goals is essential.
It’s always advisable to discuss scheduling, budget, and career goals with an adviser in high school or at the schools being considered.
Step Two: Finish an Internship or Externship
Although not all programs require an internship or externship, it’s recommended to be a more marketable candidate in employers’ eyes.
Hiring managers are more likely to hire those with firsthand experience in the field than those without.
Also, many interns are hired for permanent employment after graduation.
Step Three: Earn a Certification
Most employers require new hires to be certified by the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution or the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materials Management.
Each certifying body requires an examination that confirms the candidate’s application of learned material during the training program.
Step Four: Find a Job
Certification and searching for a job run concurrently.
Recent graduates can complete the certificate in less than two years.
Still, it’s always advisable to become certified immediately after graduating, in addition to providing knowledge used on the job; training programs were developed to prepare students for the certification exams.
Sterile Processing Technician Schools in New York
Trade schools and community colleges with sterilization processing technician programs are scattered across New York State.
Several of the best include the following:
Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center
As part of the University of Buffalo system, the Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center’s Central Sterilization Technician course gives classroom instruction to those without medical experience.
Graduates receive a certificate of completion and are eligible to sit for the certification exam.
During the course, students learn the proper techniques and sterilization equipment to ensure they are prepared for the workforce.
Capital Region BOCES
Situated in Albany, Capital Region BOCES has a Sterile Processing Technician program that teaches students how to sterilize, decontaminate, and adequately package medical equipment for transportation and reuse.
The best aspect of this program is it boasts an incredible 100 percent job placement for graduates.
New York Institute of Career Development
The New York Institute of Career Development has an online Sterile Processing Certificate course in New York City covering workplace skills, inventory management, quality assurance, medical terminology, and sterile processing technology.
As a result, program graduates are well-prepared to sit in the certification examination.
Onondaga Cortland Madison BOCES
The Central Sterile Processing Technician program offered by Onondaga Cortland Madison BOCES is part lecture and internship at a local medical center.
Students who complete the program will be prepared to take the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution certification examination.
The curriculum includes proper decontamination, cleaning, and sterilization techniques; correct storage, transportation, and distribution methods, medical and surgical terminology; infection prevention; anatomy; and physiology.
Rochester Education Opportunity
The Sterile Processing Technician course offered by the Rochester Education Opportunity center prepares students by teaching the proper cleaning, decontamination, sterilization, packing, and equipment distribution.
With career placement assistance, program graduates have started their careers in contract sterilization organizations, outpatient surgery centers, hospitals, and dentists’ offices.
Sterile Processing Technician Schools in New York – Summary Table
Top 5 Schools in New York
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center | 555 Ellicott St, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA |
| Capital Region BOCES | 900 Watervliet Shaker Rd, Albany, NY 12205, USA |
| New York Institute of Career Development | 41 E 11th St 11th floor, New York, NY 10003, USA |
| Onondaga Cortland Madison BOCES | 110 Elwood Davis Rd, Liverpool, NY 13088, USA |
| Rochester Education Opportunity | 161 Chestnut St, Rochester, NY 14604, USA |
Salary
Becoming a sterile processing technician can be financially lucrative, with a national annual pay range of $36,200 to $60,000 and a median salary of $45,900.
In New York State, the pay range is from $38,900 to $64,400, with a median salary of $49,200.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Sterile Processing Technicians in New York
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $44,850 |
| Buffalo | $37,260 |
| Rochester | $37,630 |
| Yonkers | $43,990 |
| Syracuse | $37,960 |
| Albany | $38,730 |
| New Rochelle | $43,520 |
| Mount Vernon | $43,970 |
| Schenectady | $38,640 |
| Utica | $37,160 |
Regional Salary in New York
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 220 | $43,170 | $20.76 | $54,600 | $36,220 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY | 320 | $46,470 | $22.34 | $56,880 | $36,460 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 4,870 | $54,180 | $26.05 | $65,570 | $40,410 |
| Rochester, NY | 280 | $44,800 | $21.54 | $50,310 | $34,240 |
| Syracuse, NY | 210 | $45,610 | $21.93 | $59,440 | $34,610 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 40 | $39,960 | $19.21 | $49,020 | $32,500 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the typical daily functions of a New York-based sterile processing technician?
Sterile processing technicians gather expired and used equipment from surgical areas to decontaminate, sterilize, clean, and process them for future use.
Technicians are also responsible for maintaining, repairing, and delivering the equipment to different departments around a medical facility or business if they are contract employees.
The position requires extensive quality control, including regular equipment inspection and preventative maintenance.
What are the New York State sterile processing technician licensing requirements?
New York State doesn’t require sterile processing technicians to be licensed.
However, since it’s a healthcare position, technicians must meet the specifications of regulatory bodies.
The field is highly regulated because of the importance of proper cleaning and sterilization.
What educational requirements are needed to become a sterile processing technician in New York State?
A training program is required to become a sterile processing technician.
Although New York State does not mandate education, all employers need it.
A program may range from several months to two years, depending on whether an internship is required and the program’s format.
The longer the internship and program length, the more prepared the student will be for certification and the workforce.
What are the prerequisites for being accepted into a program?
All programs require the candidate to be at least 18 and hold a high school diploma.
Given the physical requirements of the job, most programs and employers require employees to be able to lift 50 pounds and be on their feet for many hours each day.
Additionally, a criminal record could deny the student access to a clinical internship.
Other requirements include a health form and vaccinations, depending on state requirements.
Those who choose not to be vaccinated can request an exemption from the organization.
