Medical Equipment Preparers

Overview

Medical Equipment Preparers has a national median salary of $47,700 per year, with +10.8% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. May perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment.

Work Values

• Support
• Relationships
• Working Conditions

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• Examine equipment to detect leaks, worn or loose parts, or other indications of disrepair.
• Check sterile supplies to ensure that they are not outdated.
• Record sterilizer test results.
• Organize and assemble routine or specialty surgical instrument trays or other sterilized supplies, filling special requests as needed.
• Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed.

Work Activities

• Documenting/Recording Information
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Performing General Physical Activities

Detailed Work Activities

• Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished a bachelor's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Bachelor's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a high school diploma or equivalent.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Medical Equipment Preparers:

Video Resources