Medical Equipment Preparers
Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. May perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment.
What it pays
Medical Equipment Preparers earn a median of $22.93/hr — about $47,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.50/hr; the top 10% earn $33.63/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Medical Equipment Preparers earn a median of $22.93/hr — about $47,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.50/hr; the top 10% earn $33.63/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed.
- Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization.
- Record sterilizer test results.
- Organize and assemble routine or specialty surgical instrument trays or other sterilized supplies, filling special requests as needed.
- Examine equipment to detect leaks, worn or loose parts, or other indications of disrepair.
- Report defective equipment to appropriate supervisors or staff.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors; time pressure is a real part of the job; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 3.4% of medical equipment preparers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and analytical.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a medical equipment preparer make?
- The median pay is $22.93 per hour — roughly $47,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.50/hr (10th percentile) to $33.63/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a medical equipment preparer?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a medical equipment preparer actually do all day?
- Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed. Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization. Record sterilizer test results.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.