Trade Schools
Sterile processing technicians have an important role in indirectly providing patient care.
They perform duties that require specialized knowledge, skill, and training.
Some other job titles for sterile processing technicians include central service technician, central processing technician, and sterile processing and distribution technician.
The title also sometimes varies from one school to another school that offers a sterile processing technician training program.
People who want to pursue a career as a sterile processing technician want to enroll in the program that best aligns with their career goals.
One other thing that people consider when searching for the best sterile processing training program is the cost of the program.
How Much Does It Cost to Become a Sterile Processing Technician?
The cost of becoming a sterile processing technician depends on the type of training program that a student enrolls in and the school that the student attends to become a sterile processing technician.
Vocational and Career Schools
Vocational schools or career schools often train students in a variety of career fields that allow students to earn a career diploma.
Students who consider attending a vocational school or a career trade school need to make sure that their diploma is accepted by employers.
They also need to make sure that the program qualifies them to obtain certification if they want to become a certified sterile processing technician.
The vocational school sterile processing technician programs are often less expensive than the cost of completing the program at a community college or the cost of completing some online programs.
The U.S. Career Institute offers an online sterile processing technician certificate program that prepares students for entry-level positions and to take the certification exam.
The tuition for the four-to-nine-month program is $979 if paid in full, or $1,279, if students choose a monthly payment plan.
Community Colleges
Community colleges that offer sterile processing technician programs often offer them as a certificate program.
Some colleges offer the program on-campus, while some offer them in an online format.
Delta College offers a 27-credit Sterile Processing Technician Certificate program that trains students in areas that include instrument tray and procedure tray assembly, wrapping and packaging, decontamination and disinfection, and sterilization techniques.
Students gain hands-on experience in a state-of-the-art health professions lab.
The program also prepares students to sit for the certification exam.
The tuition for in-district students is $133 per contact hour.
It is $224 per contact hour for out-of-district students.
Continuing Education
Colleges sometimes offer sterile processing technician programs through their continuing education department.
The cost of the program is often more than that of other schools.
The tuition for the Certified Sterile Processing Technician program that is offered through the continuing education department at Austin Community College is $925.
The tuition for the three-month program does not include additional fees, such as books or required immunizations.
The Online Sterile Processing Technician at Central Georgia Technical College includes a voucher to cover the fee to sit for certification.
The tuition is $2,795.
How Much Does a Sterile Processing Technician Certification Cost?
The cost of becoming a certified sterile processing technician varies, depending on the training program that a student chooses or the school where they complete their sterile processing technician training.
Some programs, including the sterile processing technician programs at Penn Foster and Minneapolis College, prepare students to sit for the certification exam when they complete the program.
The students pay for their certification exam, based on the fees charged by the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA).
The 2024 cost to take the Certified Registered Central Service Technician exam is $140.
Students who enroll in some online programs may receive a voucher that covers the cost of the certification exam.
What Are the Additional Costs of Becoming a Sterile Processing Technician?
Students who enroll in a sterile processing technician program are likely to pay additional costs, in addition to the tuition.
The program tuition usually does not include the cost of things such as books, some online materials, or lab fees.
Some online programs may charge more to enroll in the training program but may include some materials at no additional charge.
One example is the online program at the City College of New York (CUNY).
The $2,795 includes all learning materials and a voucher to sit for the certification exam.
Is Becoming a Sterile Processing Technician a Good Investment?
The growing demand for sterile processing technicians makes completing a training program and becoming certified a good investment.
People who want a healthcare career but who do not want to spend several years in college or medical school may find that becoming a sterile processing technician is their best option.
The expected job growth is another reason that some people choose to become sterile processing technicians.
The site o*net online projects faster than average job growth for sterile processing technicians, compared to other occupations through 2033.
