Occupation
Sterile processing technician
Sterile processing technicians decontaminate, inspect, assemble, and sterilise the instruments and equipment used in surgery and other procedures. The role is invisible to patients but directly determines infection risk, and every step is documented and traceable. Work is standard-driven, repetitive, and physically active in hot, noisy departments.
Also known as: Medical device reprocessing technician · Central service technician · Sterile services technician · Decontamination technician
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Occupation content
Part of Healthcare and clinical services
A visual day in the work
What the work involves
Receive used instruments and sort them by decontamination requirement.
Operate washer-disinfectors, ultrasonic cleaners, and sterilisers to validated cycles.
Inspect instruments for damage, residue, and function before reassembly.
Assemble instrument trays to set lists and package them for sterilisation.
Run and record biological, chemical, and mechanical cycle monitoring.
Track sets through the traceability system and manage stock rotation and distribution.
Entry-route stepper
How people commonly enter
A medical device reprocessing or sterile processing certificate at a college or training provider.
An employer training route in a hospital sterile services department, often with a certification examination.
A decontamination or healthcare-support apprenticeship route where the jurisdiction offers one.
Typical training: Certificate or college diploma
Licensing: Certification common, not usually required
Work-context map
Typical work context
- Team based
- Lab or workshop
- Shift work
- Physically active
- Predictable routine
Team based · Lab or workshop · Shift work · Physically active · Predictable routine
Related interests
- Realistic (hands-on)
- Conventional (organizing)
Realistic (hands-on) · Conventional (organizing)
Related aptitude preparation
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Skills to practise
Practice suites
Related learning
Family-level learning links for Healthcare and clinical services.
Official sources
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Labour-market context (not part of exploration match)
This is broad family-level context for Healthcare and clinical services in Canada, not a figure for Sterile processing technician. It does not affect matching scores and is not an eligibility determination.
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Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Healthcare and clinical services: licensing
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